In the Sun
by indismero
Summary: After fleeing from a dismal future in Cyrodiil, Indis Mero had hoped to find peace and quiet as she settled down in Skyrim. Instead, after she is nearly executed, she finds herself tangled up in all kinds of shenanigans involving thieves and vampires as she and her companions reluctantly set out to save the day. Dawnguard and Thieves Guild. [F!OC/Teldryn Sero]
1. Chapter 1

_Hello and welcome to the revised version of In the Sun! I decided to repost this, because my revisions will involve some deletion, additions, and streamlining, instead of just doing a simple check over each chapter, maybe changing a few things here and there. I didn't want reviews and commentary referring to things that may or may not match up hanging around, presenting the potential to confuse people. I've wanted to revise it for quite a while now, and I decided that it was now or never. There were a lot of typos since I flew through it when I initially wrote it, there were so many unnecessary scenes, out of character moments, and things that I wanted to badly change once I had a better idea of the way I wanted things to go. I'm hoping to have everything done in, oh, about a month? I hope to be finished with this by the end of February. I'll still be updating Tempestas, the sequel, as well, although I will probably try to post for that one once every other week._

_For those who read the previous, rough and uncut version, welcome back! You'll see things that you recognize, scenes that are completely new, and her story will definitely change, but the bare bones of what happen will still be there and she'll still end up in the same place as the same ol' Indis. For those of you who are new readers, I bid you welcome and I hope you enjoy your time with The Indis. If you are new, I highly recommend you hold off on reading Tempestas, which is the sequel. Don't worry, it won't be too far along, and there won't be too much to catch up on. Hopefully, it won't take too long for me to have these edits and revisions all done, and I can get this polished version posted quickly so I can move back to focusing solely on Tempestas._

_This chapter was proofread for me by the amazing SkyrimJunkie, and I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

Indis Mero carefully examined the man sitting on the settee in front of her, letting her eyes wander over his impressively large frame. He was speaking rather animatedly to her father, his fleshy jowls quivering with each spoken word. When he ran out of breath, something that seemed to happen with great frequency, he paused to dab at the beads of sweat that were popping up on his brow. She raised one delicate hand to stifle a yawn, watching as the heavyset man gestured wildly, his swollen sausage-like fingers waving, causing the rings on his fingers to glimmer in the light. He was obviously excited about something, but what, she had no idea. Her mind had wandered off nearly an hour ago.

"Indis my dear," the man said in his disturbingly oily voice. "I hope you're looking forward to our upcoming wedding night. I know I certainly am." He leered at her as though she were a prize-winning horker.

The thought of touching this corrupt wretch of a man, of him climbing onto her and crushing her with his foul, sweaty naked body was disturbing to say the least, and instead of responding, she swallowed hard, trying to purge the thought from her mind.

"Are you deaf, girl?" her father spat, his eyes narrowing. "Your betrothed asked you a question." He flexed his hand around the arm of the ornately carved chair he was sitting in, watching her suspiciously.

Her head bobbed up and down in an enthusiastic nod, and she hoped it wouldn't draw his suspicions as being over the top. "Oh yes, father, quite so. I can't wait!" Indis purred demurely, smoothing out the silk fabric of her dress, hoping he didn't notice the shrill tone her voice had taken on, or the way it cracked ever so slightly. _Please, by the Eight, _she prayed silently. _Don't let him figure out that I have other plans. _She couldn't be more displeased about this forced arrangement, but in order for the plan to work, she needed to feign excitement in a most convincing manner. If she managed to pull that off, her father likely wouldn't come barging up to her room and storm in unannounced just as he did every time he suspected something was amiss. "I am feeling quite tired, though," Indis continued. "I do believe all of this excitement is wearing me down. I think I'll retire for the night."

* * *

Indis walked up the stairs to her room at the top of the tower, lazily dragging one hand along the rough, jagged stone that lined the walls. With the other, she snatched up the long skirts that threatened to get caught under her feet at any moment. A few steps up, she hesitated, quickly glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following her. Her ears perked up, and she listened, straining for footsteps, voices, anything, and after she was greeted with the soft thrum of silence, she continued. It was an easy walk up the short flight of stairs, one that she had made countless times before, but she found that her heart had begun to race, pounding wildly against her ribcage. _Tonight is the night,_ she told herself._ It's now or never._

Indis sighed, pushing the door to her chambers open and then quickly shutting and locking it behind her. Hopefully after tonight, she would be forever rid of the man who had only seen her as a means to an end, and little else.

"I'm back," she announced, striding over to her bed. She kicked off her delicate, lacy shoes before flopping down onto the lush blankets, stretching her limbs as she stared at the ceiling above.

"Good, it's about time." A hoarse, grating voice, came from her small closet, and after lifting her head ever so slightly, Indis saw Anneke, the old Redguard woman who had been her caretaker since birth. She was leaning out of her closet. "What are you doing lazing about? There's work to be done. Well, if you still want to go through with this plan of yours, that is."

"Of course I do. What needs to happen now?"

The Redguard woman planted her hands on her hips, tapping her foot up and down in an erratic rhythm, softly muttering to herself as she mentally went over their plan once again. "Here," she said, snatching up a worn book from a table before tossing it to Indis. "Go sit on the edge of the balcony and act like you're reading. I've no doubt that your father will be up soon to check that everything's in order. Now go."

Indis took the book that was offered to her, darting over to the window as quickly as she could. She wrestled with the heavy fabric of her skirts and clambered onto the stone bench just below the thick railing, cautiously pulling herself up. She slowly settled down, every movement deliberate, and then swung her legs over. Once she was settled, she turned back to Anneke, giving her a nod. "I'm good here. I'll see you soon."

Turning back towards the city that sprawled before her, Indis exhaled, idly flipping through the book that had been thrust into her hands, waiting for the door to open behind her. Sure enough, after less than five minutes, she heard the gentle click of the handle being turned, and after whirling around, she saw her father step through the door. His eyes swept over her room, lingering in corners for a few seconds. After he was satisfied that all was in order and accounted for, he gave her a curt nod and then exited, coattails whipping behind him.

After her father had left, it took only a few more minutes for Anneke to return, with a large, heavy burlap bag swung over one shoulder. She beckoned for Indis to join her before roughly depositing it on the floor. Indis jumped down as carefully as she could, kneeling down by the large sack.

"Oh, Divines, what is that smell?" She gagged softly, pinching her nose shut, and Anneke just laughed and shook her head.

"Well, you remember the plan, don't you my dear? You, well, something that is made to look like you, will fall off that balcony. A terrible accident after you fall asleep reading. Since it won't actually be you, we need a replacement." Anneke jerked the leather ties of the bag open, and out tumbled a large, headless and hoofless pig that had been drained of blood. Its limbs hacked off and sewn back on in such a way thatvaguely resembled a human body, if one were to squint and tilt their head to the side.

"Take off your dress," Anneke commanded, snapping her gnarled fingers at her, and Indis obliged, tossing it to her friend and guardian so she could begin wrangling the dead animal into it.

All of a sudden, Indis felt Anneke's hands snatch up her waist-length hair and after a gentle tug and the sound of slicing, her head felt considerably lighter. _This thing is going to need hair,_ Indis recalled Anneke's earlier words. _And it'd be good for you to hack off that mess you insist on keeping._

With a groan Indis crossed the room, tugging a worn linen tunic and ratty trousers on as she headed over to the large silver washbasin that was tucked away in a corner of her room. She grabbed the pitcher that was teetering on the edge of a table and filled it up with water. Snatching up the washcloth from the edge, she wasted no time in dunking it in; soaking it before scrubbing away the powder, creams, and rouge that formed a thick layer on her face. Once she was all clean, she turned back towards Anneke, watching the woman finish the task of stuffing the girl-pig into the dress she had been wearing.

"Come here and help me."

Once Indis had arrived by her side, the two women hoisted it up and staggered towards the balcony, struggling to keep it from prematurely tumbling down. When they finally stood by the stone ledge, on the count of three they raised it up so that it was on the ledge, very, very close to falling over it. They looked at each other, and after Indis gave Anneke a steely, determined nod, they pushed.

_No turning back now_, Indis silently mused, watching the carcass fall with a grace unexpected from a pig in a dress.

* * *

It seemed like an age before the pig hit the ground with a sickening splat, and Indis stood on her tiptoes so she could peer at the mess on the cobbled stone below.

"Huh. I thought it would you know…explode more."

"No mind. I'll give it a good beating with a shovel so they can't quite tell. Believe me; no one will want to look too long, especially your father. He has such... _delicate_ sensibilites. I'll make sure it's nasty. Oh, and Indis?"

"Yes?"

"Don't forget to toss the book over as well. It should look like a fall."

* * *

After the balcony push, they hadn't wasted any time. Anneke had grabbed Indis' hand and led her through the complex underbelly of the estate where she had grown up, taking care to avoid anyone seeing them, occasionally coming to a halt so they could duck into an alcove. They had arrived at one of the entrances that servants used, and after pulling out a key that had been tucked in the pocket of the apron she wore, Anneke unlocked the door and ushered Indis through.

They stepped out into the dank, dark alleyway that served to collect refuse and connect one main road to the other. After quickly glancing about, Anneke reached forward, cupping Indis' face with one wrinkled palm.

"It's not too much, I know. There's a lot of coin, and a few plain silver and gold jewelry pieces that you can sell if you end up needing some more. Oh, and here's a dagger," she added, pressing it into the tiny Imperial's palm. "I sincerely hope that you won't need it, but just in case."

Indis threw her arms around the woman's waist and blinked furiously, struggling against the tears that threatened to spill over. Now that her plan was actually happening, she was terrified, frightened, and the mere thought of the future made her stomach lurch. She pulled away, wiping away at her eyes and nose. "Goodbye, Anneke. I hope we meet again someday."

It hadn't taken her long to find the docks, or to find someone with a boat willing to take on a passenger. She had been tempted to turn back around, to flee to the world she had always known, but her feet had fallen into a steady rhythm, carrying her closer and closer to the docks with every step. A kindly older gentleman had called out to her, asking her if she was looking for a boat to hire. It was a small craft, but he seemed quite capable. Plus, he wasn't charging that much.

As Indis clambered into the tiny boat, she heard a voice call out.

"Hey, Orvarth! Before you leave, c'mere for a second!"

The little grey-haired sailor sighed. "Just a moment lass, I'll be right back."

She had waited her entire life for this moment; she could wait a few more minutes. Sitting down on one of the benches, Indis peered over the edge of the tiny boat, only to be greeted with a face that she barely recognized. Her dark brown hair, which had once been tousled and wavy, spilling down over her back, had been hacked off crudely, and now just barely reached her shoulders. Squinting, her green eyes took in the tiny, coppery freckles that dusted her deep bronze skin, As she shifted in the boat to get a closer look, she couldn't help but bite at her full lower lip.

It was strange, taking the time to study her own blurry image in the water below, and Indis was entranced by the new person she saw below until a voice jerked her out of her reflective study.

"Sorry 'bout that! Now, you didn't tell me where you wanted to go."

Indis paused. She hadn't really thought about that very much.

_Where should I go? _She pondered. _Black Marsh? Elsweyr? Skyrim? Valenwood?_

She briefly hesitated before voicing her decision.

"How close can you get me to Skyrim?"


	2. Chapter 2

_First order of business: my pen name change. __**I've gone from timeywimeyspaceywacey to indismero**__, mainly because I wanted something shorter and more closely related to my stories. _

_So, yeah. When I first started writing, I had no idea that doing the Helgen opening was such a no-no and that people hated to see it. But, here we are again! I didn't want to take it out because it was an important moment in her life and it was how she met Ralof, and I couldn't think of any other way to go about making sure things stayed the same throughout the rest of the story without dramatically altering them. However, I did want to at least change up the dialogue and put enough of Indis' voice in there to give at least that bit of originality. Also, if you remember the original version, this was actually three separate chapters. Yep, three. Geez. I wasn't used to writing longer stuff at that point, so that's why things were so spread out. Also, now we get past Helgen nice and quick, no more dragging it out over several chapters. In addition to being condensed, things have been tweaked and added. This chapter was checked over by the amazing SkyrimJunkie. Enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

"Good, good. This will do nicely," Indis mumbled to herself, shucking the threadbare gloves that covered her hands. She wasted no time in snatching up the spoon that the innkeeper had set down next to her bowl and dove in, shoveling hot stew into her mouth. "Oh, hot, hot," she gasped, fanning her mouth. "This is good, though. It's nice to finally have another hot meal."

Indis looked up, an embarrassed flush creeping onto her cheeks when she realized that the innkeeper was watching her curiously. Since she had left Cyrodiil, she had quickly become lonely and found that she craved idle conversation. Innkeepers, carriage drivers, fellow travelers – none of them were interested in starting a conversation with her. So, she had taken to talking to herself in a desperate attempt to ease the loneliness.

She looked back down, idly prodding at the bits of carrot and potato that floated about, briefly glancing up to survey her reflection in the scuffed tin tankard in front of her. Her nose and cheeks were vivid and bright, the crimson color no doubt a side effect of the sun and the harsh, chapping winds. Her hair was wild and stuck out at odd angles, and when she tilted her head to one side, she caught a glimpse of dried grass that had somehow managed to get caught in her tousled locks. It was no wonder the innkeeper continued to stare at her so suspiciously.

Sighing, she scarfed down the rest of the bland, watery stew. Lifting the lip of the bowl to her mouth, she slurped away at the remainder of the greasy messy, stopping when a nearby conversation caught her attention.

"Jus' got back from Bravil. What a wretched city!"

"Bravil?" Indis asked, spinning around on her stool. Two burly Nord men were sitting at a small table that was nestled against the inn's wall, and she hopped down and made her way over to them. They looked surprised, but she was too curious to care. "I'm from Bravil," she continued, planting herself in the empty chair between them.

"Are ya?" The man who had been speaking continued, pausing only to take another swig of his mead. "I was there on business."

"I miss it sometimes. I grew up there." Even though she hadn't been gone for too long, it wasn't a complete lie. She felt a burst of homesickness tug within her chest, but she pushed it away and continued. "Was anything interesting happening?"

The man hesitated, carefully mulling over her question. "Not much, business as usual. Well, there _was_ one thing."

Her eyes widened and she shifted closer, hoping she didn't look _too_ eager.

"The daughter of some nobleman died. Gruesome, nasty death from what I understand. She fell from her balcony, but nobody found 'er until mornin'. By then, the stray animals and vermin that live in the city had already made a feast out of her body and –"

He stopped abruptly and it took Indis a few seconds to realize why. A huge grin had spread across her face and she coughed, struggling to regain her composure. "Oh, do continue," she said, gesturing for him to go on. "That sounds so awful. I'm sure her family was torn apart over something like that."

"Dunno 'bout that," he responded, quickly emptying the amber bottle in his hand before slamming it down on the table. "One o' my business associates knew her father, said the man acted like 'er dyin' was just more of a nuisance more than anythin' else."

"Oh," Indis replied, her voice small. She swallowed the lump in her throat and slipped out of her chair, giving the man and his companion a short nod. "Well, thank you for the news. I'd best be off now."

She made her way back over to the stool that she had abandoned and picked up her knapsack off the floor, slinging it over one shoulder. Rapping her knuckles on the bar's counter, she waved to get the innkeeper's attention. "I'd like a room, please," she said, fumbling for the coin purse at her side.

"Ten septims, and it's yours until morning," the innkeeper replied, tucking the dishrag he had been holding into his belt.

Dumping the contents of her coin purse on the counter, she groaned. Six septims. Indis looked up and bit her lip, her eyes pleading.

The innkeeper shook his head. "If you can't pay, you can't stay. I can't take on every charity case that wanders in. Come back when you've got the money, miss."

Indis shoved the coin purse back into her pocket and spun on her heel, keeping her head down as she barged towards the door. Anneke had given her plenty of money, and had told her that it would be more than enough to help her make it out of Cyrodiil, but staying in inns, having three hot meals and a warm bath for the last couple of weeks had burned a hole in her pocket as she slowly travelled north. She had taken the small boat out of Braviil all the way to the Imperial City, finally taking a carriage that slowly wheeling along the Red Ring Road, then the Silver Road. The passage through the Jerall Mountains was slow, arduous and shortly after arriving in Skyrim, Indis and the carriage's other passengers was deposited at the gates of the driver's destination, a lakeside city called Riften, where one of her coin purses was stolen. She had just enough money to hire a carriage to take her west to a small, sleepy village called Ivarstead that was settled next to a monstrous mountain.

Pushing the inn's door open, she stepped outside. The air was brisk with enough of a nip in it to make sleeping outside uncomfortable. After taking off down the steps, Indis slowly meandered down the main road that sliced through the small village, carefully watching for any place at all that might serve as a decent place to rest.

She came to a halt by the mill and after doing a quick visual sweep, she was relieved to find that it was empty. Indis climbed the ramp that led to the top, the wooden planks underneath her feet groaning wearily. "I hear you," she mumbled, dropping her belongings down on the hard wood. She was kneeling down, ready to get some rest when a deep, angry gurgle from deep within her stomach stopped her.

"I just fed you. Are you already hungry again?" She patted her needy stomach with a groan, standing up. The thin little stew she had gulped down earlier hadn't done much to sate her hunger. Indis took off down the ramp, hoping she could creep into one of the gardens that she passed by earlier. She stopped by the first garden she reached, tossing a surreptitious glance over each shoulder before unlatching the lopsided gate.

There were carrots, tomatoes, and plenty of cabbage ripe for the picking and she wasted no time in plucking them out of the ground and stuffing them into her knapsack. She was ready to go back to the mill when the rich, sugary scent of a freshly baked pastry wafted up into her nose.

There was a small thatched house nestled up next to the garden and one of the back windows was open, a small tray of sweet rolls resting on it to cool. Indis crept up and peeked into the house. It was empty.

Her fingers touched the edge of the tray, but she gazed past the desserts, taking in the pieces of scratched silver, discarded armor, and dried meat hanging from hooks. The sweets would be nice, but the items behind them would be even sweeter.

* * *

Indis sniffed, tears beginning to roll down her face. She sat up, stiff, aching muscles protesting as she shifted so that her back was pressed against the cold, dank stone wall of her tiny jail cell. Creeping into the tiny house had proven to be a mistake. While she was busy making a sweep of the tiny space, stuffing various items into her knapsack, the homeowners had returned. Trying to explain away the silver, jewelry, armor, and food all tightly clutched between her arms had been impossible, and after calling out for the guards, she had been hauled away to the only jail cell that the small village had. That was three days ago. She tried to fight the urge to cry, but her failed efforts resulted in a loud, choking sob.

_I want to go home. I miss Anneke, I miss Cyrodiil. I should never have left. This was a mistake._

"Is that little girl in there crying again? Talos help me…," growled the voice of one of her jailers. It was no doubt the burly man that had rolled his eyes and sighed every time he walked by her cell. He had been particularly irritated by her sporadic, distraught bouts of tears.

"Aye, she is." Indis recognized the voice of the tall, female Nord guard that had locked her up. "Hush now, though. By the looks of it, she's had a rough time. Besides, she'll be gone tomorrow morning, her sentence will be over."

"Good. I don't think I could listen to that weepy little sweet roll thief one more night."

* * *

"You there, Imperial! Up, on your feet. You're being released. Try to stay out of trouble, alright?" The male jailer called to her, pulling his keys from his pocket and unlocking her cell door. There was a loud, audible click and the door swung open. "Hurry up, now. We haven't got all day."

Indis rubbed her eyes blearily. Sleeping on a bedroll in a jail cell certainly wasn't the most comfortable, but thanks to the exhausting tears that had come in bursts the past few nights, she had actually slept quite well. Slowly, she used the bars on her cell to pull herself to her feet, stretching out her stiff limbs. Finally, she was being released.

After some brief administrative work, Indis found herself ushered out the door by the guards. Her worn knapsack, filled with the remainder of her meager possessions had been returned to her. As she made to leave, the female guard had pressed a small coin purse filled into her palm, whispering that she looked like she needed the coin.

It was early morning, and Indis found herself standing on the edge of the road, eyes adjusting to the soft rays of sunlight, her mind working to plot her next course of action. Tilting her head upwards, she looked towards the sky, examining the golden and red hues of the trees, contrasting sharply against the clear blue of the sky. The wildlife of the Rift was beginning to wake, and the sounds of the chatter of birds found her ears. A large gust of wind swept across the road, sending shivers across her body.

"Things have been worse. But…at least I'm alive. At least I'm still alive," she quietly whispered, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She adjusted her knapsack, looking up the road that stretched out before her.

"Eh, you say something, Imperial?" said a nearby guard, turning to look at her.

"I…," she trailed off, biting at her lip anxiously. For the past few nights, she hadn't needed to worry about where she would go, or what she would do next. However, now that she was back out on the streets, she didn't know what came next. "I don't know where to go."

She could feel the guard's curious gaze burning into her, and she was surprised when he responded. "There's always plenty of work to be found in Whiterun," he replied, leaning against a nearby stone wall. "In Windhelm, there's work at the docks, and if you're looking to fight, you can always join the Stormcloaks there, too," he continued, jerking his thumb towards the east.

_The what-cloaks? I don't want to fight anything!_ She faltered before giving him a nod of thanks and set off.

Whiterun it was.

* * *

"Divines, _ouch_." Indis groaned, slowly shuffling towards a large boulder that was thankfully close by. She hoisted herself up on top of it and yanked off her boots, gritting her teeth and letting out a low hiss of pain. Large, bubbling blisters covered her heels, toes, and ankles. She had walked all day, hoping that she was going the right way. She had only taken a few short breaks and it certainly had taken a toll on her body. Tossing her knapsack and boots aside, she decided to call it a night.

She had wandered north to some hot springs, a stone's throw from some tiny little mining village. Besides those two things, Indis didn't know much about her location. Hopping down from her position on the mossy stone, she hobbled over to the edge of the hot spring. Once she had slowly lowered herself into a seated position, she rolled up the cuffs of her tattered pants and dunked her sore, throbbing feet into the water.

"Ah, ah, ah," she sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. The sound of nearby brush moving about caused her eyes to fly open and once she saw it was only a little rabbit nibbling on a jazbay grape, she laughed. "Hello there, little friend."

The animal didn't look up at her, but instead continued to root around in the mess of leaves on the dry ground, no doubt searching for more food. Indis' stomach growled, and that got the little animal's attention. "I'm hungry," she said, splashing her feet around, continuing to soak up the delicious warmth. "I bet you'd be delicious. I'm going to eat you. I'll catch you, skin you and then I'll—"

Seemingly out of nowhere, the loud roar of laughter caught her attention and Indis stood up. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back," she mumbled, slowly making her way over towards the source of the noise. Indis slowly, cautiously made her way over towards the small, noisy clearing slowly, but cautiously, wincing every time her already tender feet made contact with a sharp pebble. She knelt down behind the scraggly bushes, hoping she could survey the scene unnoticed.

There was a group soldiers. All of them were wearing the same blue and brown uniform, sitting around a roaring fire, laughing and drinking. There was one man, clad in heavy, dark furs, sitting a short distance away from them, quietly sipping on his mead. A slight breeze swept down through their small camp and brought the succulent, delicious scent of roasted meat to her nose. Indis licked her lips and her stomach rumbled louder.

All of a sudden, the group of soldiers fell quiet and she watched as they warily surveyed their surroundings. Indis had begun to worry that they heard her stomach, but those fears were assuaged and replaced with completely different ones. An entirely different group of soldiers, all wearing the red and russet armor of the Empire, stormed into the camp. Flashes of grey caught her eye and there was loud shouting as steel met steel.

Gasping, she shot up, stumbling backwards, ready to flee. As she was making her escape, her foot caught on a root jutting out of the ground and she tumbled forward. Her head slammed down hard against the muddy embankment.

Everything went black.

* * *

Indis slowly opened her eyes. Her lids fluttered lazily as she adjusted to the bleary light of early morning and the soft, rocking sway of carriage below. The sharp chatter of birds met her ears and a brisk gust of wind sent chills down her bare arms. Her last memory of was some kind of attack, an ambush, before she had blacked out. Finally, Indis began to take in her surroundings. She looked up and was met with the sight of tall green pines and snowcapped mountains, stretching towards the blinding blue sky. The last place she remembered was the bleak, murky hot spring she had been dipping her feet into. This certainly wasn't it.

"Ah, you there!" said a large blond Nord in front of her. "You're finally awake. I was starting to think you might never come back. Who are you? Where are you from?" He gestured to her with bound hands.

Bound hands.

_Oh, fantastic. Out of the frying pan, into the fire._ Indis silently mused before raising her eyes to meet the Nord's. "I'm from Bravil, in southern Cyrodiil. My name is Indis."

"Cyrodiil, eh? You're a long ways from home, little Imperial. I'm guessing you got swept up into that ambush same as us."

_Ambush? Where was I…_ she mentally trailed off, struggling to remember. She could recall the ambush and attempting to flee, but she held no recollection of what happened after that_. _

Indis hesitated. She could tell the truth, but she had to admit it, the truth was a little strange. "Uh…yes. I sure did. Er, I don't believe I caught your name."

"Name is Ralof. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Indis made to respond, but was quickly interrupted. "What is wrong with you two?! How can you just sit there and talk like nothing is wrong?! Look at us! Hey, you there, Imperial! It's not us the Empire wants, don't you see? We're not supposed to be here. We're not supposed to be here," shrieked the man sitting to Ralof's left. He was in tattered rags, rubbing away at the mud caked on his chin. He looked back and forth between Indis and Ralof, shaking his head wildly.

"Something is wrong with you, and something is wrong with him!" The dirty little man continued, his tied hands gesturing to the man in a rich black cloak, who was bound and gagged next to Indis. The gagged Nord only grunted. Indis squinted at him, her eyes widening when she realized that his hands were bound in front of him. If he wanted to, he could simply reach up and tear away the gag that covered his mouth. "If it wasn't for you Stormcloak bastards I could have stolen that horse and made it out of there just fine."

Ralof turned to the man who had broken into a sudden, frightful panic. "What in Oblivion is wrong with you? Do you not realize who you're speaking to?" he spat, his previously kind voice growing harsh. "This is Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak that sits before you!"

_Ulfric Stormcloak?_ She'd heard that name before, when she'd disinterestedly listened to her father talk of the rebellion in Skyrim and how he had hoped it would be good for business. Perhaps she should have paid more attention when he had talked of politics. Then, maybe she wouldn't have walked right into a country teeming with civil war.

The two men continued to argue and bicker, finally falling silent once the soldier driving their cart turned back and told them to shut their mouths. Indis simply sighed and groaned as they rolled through the arched entry into a small village. It looked as though she would be spending a few more nights in yet another jail cell. The small caravan of carts, brimming with Stormcloaks and criminals rumbled slowly in between the houses and Indis frowned when they were met with jeers and insults from the townspeople.

The carriages came to a grinding, shuddering halt and the passengers were quickly ushered out by the Imperial soldiers.

"Whatever you do," Ralof began, leaning down to whisper in Indis' ear. "Don't try and resist. It'll just make things worse."

She nodded, hopping down from the cart. Everyone around her looked so grim and somber and she shook her head. It was _just_ jail.

"Step forward," barked a soldier, a Captain no doubt, judging by the bright, gleaming armor she wore. "It's time for roll call. Once your name has been called, make your way over to the line for the block."

Indis frowned at the Captain's words, uncertain as to what the captain was referring to. _The block?_ She looked up, eyes following the few Stormcloaks that already had their names called out. She finally saw what rested beyond them.

It was very obviously an executioner's block. The headsman's axe was stuck firmly in the wood and flies danced around the dried blood caked on the sides. A wave of nausea hit Indis' stomach and her stomach twitched and lurched, emptying itself of the sparse contents within. She wasn't going to jail - she was going to be executed.

"Are you all right, miss?"

Indis raised her bound, trembling hands up to wipe her mouth, surprised to find that the dark-haired Imperial calling out names was the one to ask. She shook her head and shot him a dark look. _Do I look like I'm all right?_

"Oh Gods, oh Gods, oh Gods," lamented the man who had sat alongside Ralof in the carriage. Before anyone could ask him how _he_ was doing, he darted past Indis and the soldiers and waved his tied hands triumphantly in the air. "You'll never catch me!" he shouted gleefully as he distanced himself.

He was quickly silenced by an arrow to the back. After watching him crumple to the ground, the Captain turned back to the rest of the prisoners. "Hopefully the rest of you realize that escape isn't something that's going to be happening for you," the Captain said with a smirk that seemed far too gleeful given the circumstances. Her head snapped towards Indis. "Get on your feet. Name!"

"I-Indis," she stammered, swallowing hard.

The man with the list looked up and surveyed her carefully. "Where do you hail from?"

"B-B-Bravil."

He raised an eyebrow, scratching something down on the parchment with his quill. "You're a long way from home, little Imperial," he mused, looking up to give her a genuinely apologetic smile.

"She's not supposed to be here." Indis turned, surprised to see Ralof intervening. "She's not one of us. You have us; you have Ulfric, so why don't you just let her go?"

The Captain gave a dismissive shrug and waved him away, clearly annoyed by the interruption. "It doesn't make a difference to me. She was found with you and she's on the list now. She goes to the block like the rest of you. Let's get this going," she said, shoving both Indis and Ralof forward.

Ralof gently nudged her with his elbow and Indis found herself slowly sidling closer to him, as she stared past past the man who had been called General Tullius. He was in the middle of admonishing the rebellion leader. In the distance was a loud, echoing roar, but she brushed it aside. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be her concern soon.

Indis felt her eyes become moist and she blinked furiously when she realized that she was on the verge of tears. It all ended here. Her body would be placed in some unmarked grave here. She hadn't given her surname, so at least there was no possibility that her corpse could be returned to her father. Still, it had all been for nothing.

Silent tears began to stream down her face and she sniffled loudly, her breathing growing heavier. Facing her death nobly and with dignity wasn't an option. Indis took a deep breath, hoping it would calm her. Instead, what came out was a loud hiccup and the soldiers and their prisoners all turned to face her. The tears picked up their pace and she quickly became a loud, hiccupping, sobbing mess. Another roar sounded, seemingly closer.

"What in Oblivion is that?" groaned the General, casting his eyes upward to survey the sky.

"It's probably nothing. Come on, let's get this show on the road," the Captain groaned, waving her hand in the air. "I think that the little Imperial mess should go first. Then you can finish up your speech, General."

Indis stood, frozen. A pair of soldiers latched onto each of her arms and dragged her forward, shoving her down onto the ground in front of the block. One guided her head so that it was resting on the chopping block. She hiccupped again, hoping the tears would stop, trying her hardest not to focus on the stale stench of blood or what was about to happen. Having no desire to watch the headsman's axe swing down towards her she clenched her eyes shut, waiting for her death.

After it didn't come, she slowly, cautiously opened her eyes.

She gasped when she was met with the sight of what appeared to be a massive black dragon swooping down towards the town. The headsman, along with the other Imperials, no longer seemed to be concerned with the execution carrying on as planned and had turned their attention to the dragon. The beast landed on top of a nearby tower with a thundering crash, knocking her would-be executioner to the ground. The headsman tried to stand again, but the dragon opened its mighty jaws and roared, letting a massive wave of energy burst forth. The impact hit Indis, throwing her to the ground.

Her vision was spinning, waning, blurring as she tried to make out what was happening around her. It seemed as though every bit of blood in her body had rushed to her head, where it was currently pounding in her ears. She was so, so close to losing consciousness and going under when she felt a pair of hands grab at her arms.

"Come on Imperial, get up! The Gods won't give us a second chance!"

Her eyelids fluttered and her vision swam, but eventually her desire to survive and run won over. Indis was still reeling from that…well, _whatever_ that dragon had done after it landed on the tower. It took her a few seconds to realize that the voice urging her to get on her feet and the arms that were dragging her into the relative safety of a nearby tower belonged to Ralof.

"Unghh," was all Indis could offer as Ralof deposited her on the floor of a tower next to a group of injured Stormcloaks. Her hands were still bound but she managed to clumsily rub her aching temples as she surveyed the scene around her. It looked like most of the Stormcloaks had been badly injured and were either lying motionless or dying.

Ignoring the groans and moans of the dying, Indis clambered to her feet, stumbling over to Ralof and the Jarl that was to be executed alongside his men.

"Come on, we need to get moving! Follow me," Ralof shouted as he grabbed her arm and guided her away from the Jarl and his dying comrades. Mere seconds before, the dragon had destroyed a section of the wall, leaving a gaping hole that overlooked the town that was quickly progressing from cozy village to smoldering ruin. Indis and Ralof briefly paused before he turned to her. "See that inn on the other side? Jump through there and just keep going."

"Wait, what? Isn't anyone else coming?" she squeaked.

"We'll follow when we can, now go!"

"C-could you at least take of my bindings? I can't really use my hands…," Indis trailed off, turning to see that Ralof was already darting back down the steps of the tower, no doubt to join the Jarl.

Taking a deep breath, Indis climbed to the edge of the hole, peering down at the rubble that covered the ground below. Since painful injury or death were what would inevitably await her if she failed or stayed put, she would just have to make the jump. _Simple_._ I can do this_.

Indis jumped, pushing off the ledge with all that she had. She made it over the gap between the tower and the inn and when she landed, the force sent a searing jolt of pain up through her knees. Unbalanced, she fell forward, smacking her face on the dust-ridden wooden planks.

"Fuck, shit, ow," she mumbled, pushing herself to her feet as best she could. Indis staggered forward when her foot caught on a broken ceiling beam that had crashed to the floor and she tumbled forward, dropping through the hole in the floor.

How she had managed to stay alive for so long was quickly becoming an incredibly intriguing mystery.

She stood, wincing from the cuts and scrapes that covered her arms and legs and limped towards the exit. Lurching through the opening where a door had once been, Indis found herself outside of the feeble, imagined safety of a burning building and out in the vulnerable open space of what had once been a small, quiet village. The Nord with the list was directing some of the townspeople to safety. Even though he had led her to the chopping block moments before, she found herself running towards him, waving her bound hands to catch his eye.

"Still alive, prisoner? Stay with me and I promise you, we'll make it out of here alive." The dark-haired soldier shot her a comforting smile, motioning for her to follow him.

Indis wasted no time, tiny feet barreling in the direction he had indicated, drawing closer to the smoldering ashes of what had once been someone's home or business. She was ready to round the corner when she heard him call out to her. "Stay close to the wall prisoner! That thing is about to land!"

She pressed her body as tight to the wall as she physically could, holding her breath as the massive black dragon landed on the wall right in front of her, unleashing fire and fury on some unfortunate soul. The dragon's wing was right there, right in front of her face, and some irresistible urge overtook her at that moment. Indis raised her tied hands and just gently placed them on the wing in front of her, silently marveling at the cool flesh below her hands.

Her stupor was broken as the dragon took off in flight, slipping out from under her fingers. Shaking her head at the unusual whim that had overtaken her, she took off at a quick jog and made her way through the ashes and rubble. Indis came to a halt, a crease furrowing in her brow when she was unable to find the soldier who had offered to guide her out. Rounding another corner, she spotted him standing near the man that she had heard called General Tullius and quickly made her way over.

"Into the keep soldier, we're leaving!" the General bellowed at the Nord with the list, before turning his attention to Indis. "What are you doing? Run, stupid!"

She nodded frantically and darted off in the direction he pointed, following the soldier with the list through a sweeping stone arch. She kept her eyes on the man's distant, bobbing head, never letting her eyes leave him as she closed the distance between them.

"We're escaping Hadvar, you can't stop us!"

"Ralof, damn you to Oblivion!"

When she saw the blond Stormcloak, she couldn't help but smile. She had been afraid that he had become one of the charred, motionless bodies that dotted the streets of Helgen.

"Hey, you there, follow me!" Ralof called out to her as he jogged towards a door, likely to the keep. A roar, louder this time, cut through the air. Indis looked up to see meet the eyes of the black dragon as it descended on the ground in front of the keep. Not wanting to waste another minute, Indis bolted as quickly as she could after Ralof.

They were alive. Although they weren't completely out of the woods, Indis let out a long, relieved exhale. She and Ralof had at least made it to the keep, but there were undoubtedly Imperials ahead to contend with along with the risk of the entire keep being destroyed by the dragon.

Now that she had a moment to pause, Indis stopped, her chest heaving as she wheezed and gasped for breath, leaving it painfully obvious that she hadn't done much running before. She slowed her sprint to a light jog, trying to catch her breath as she made her way over to Ralof, who was now hunched over the body of a dead Stormcloak soldier.

"We'll meet again in Sovngarde brother. It's a shame it had to end this way. We were all so close," he whispered, reaching out to close the man's eyes before turning to Indis. Beginning to strip his dead comrade of armor, he turned to Indis. "Did you see that thing? Ha, a dragon! That's not something that everyone can say that they've seen. Here, let me cut that binding off for you." Ralof reached down and snatched up the dagger that was resting on his hip. He sliced away the tattered rope and Indis flexed her fingers, giving him a grateful nod.

"Now," he continued, leaning down to pick up the armor and weapon he had removed from the dead man. "Put these on. You'll need something a little heartier than… well, whatever it is that you're wearing."

Indis took the cuirass, her fingers clutching it tightly. "Ralof, would you mind?" she asked nervously.

He stared at her unsure of what she meant, before it finally hit him. "Ah! A dragon is bringing Helgen down around us and you're worried about me seeing you in your smallclothes? Very well, just make it fast."

As soon as she saw Ralof turn away, Indis turned the opposite direction to take off her ragged tunic and footwraps, failing to notice that Ralof was peeking over his shoulder. She yanked the cuirass down over her head and slipped into the boots. It was all too large. The cuirass engulfed her tiny form and the huge, clunky boots were going to make it difficult to walk.

"Are you done yet? Good. Give that axe a few swings, and let's see if we can get that gate open somehow."

Ralof turned away, muttering to himself as he considered where a key might be. Indis clomped her way over to the iron gate and tested the knob. "Hey, Ralof?"

"Yes?"

"This is unlocked."

He whirled around and grinned. "Well, let's get out of here."

* * *

"There, there," Ralof whispered, rubbing Indis' back and shoulders. "They're all dead now, so there's nothing to worry about. The bear that had made its home up near the exit is dead now, too."

Indis' stomach muscles rippled and she dry heaved again, spitting into the small, quick stream that darted through the underbelly of the keep. Once he was satisfied that she was done, Ralof slipped his hands around her arms and hoisted her up.

"We should probably keep moving," he added, wrapping one arm around her waist.

Her knees trembled and threatened to buckle and she looked up at him, surprisingly pale. "Those spiders were… large." She swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at one of the massive spiders that they passed by, shuddering when she saw her reflection in its eyes. "Are all spiders in Skyrim that large?"

"Not all of them are that big, but there are plenty of large fellows such as these."

"Oh." Indis' legs swayed, but Ralof didn't let her fall.

He could feel her trembling and he glanced down at her in concern. Ever since they had made their way deeper and deeper into the keep, she had gotten worse. Shortly after setting off they had encountered a pair of Imperials and during the ensuing fight she had swung her axe wildly, looking astonished when it made contact with the chest of one man, cleaving through his armor with ease. His blood had sprayed out, coating her face and chest and she had collapsed to the ground to empty her stomach of acid. After that, Ralof had tasked her with carrying an empty flour sack filled with potions, gold, and any other useful items that they happened to come across. He had scouted ahead, slaying any Imperials he came across, doubling back to retrieve her once the way was clear. Indis had paled and shook as he guided her through the keep, trying to avert her eyes from the dead bodies and pools of blood.

Just when Ralof had believed them to be free and clear, a small horde of massive frostbite spiders descended upon them and his little companion had bolted back into the keep, screeching. After he had taken care of the surprise infestation, he had found her wedged in a tiny alcove with her knees drawn to her chest, pale and shaking.

After that, he wanted to make sure that there was absolutely nothing standing between them and the exit.

"See, we're almost there," he said, giving her a bright, encouraging smile. He let go of her hand so he could gesture to the light spilling through the small opening. "Just a few more steps and we're out."

They slipped through the narrow exit, blinking furiously when they entered the sunlight. A loud, eerily familiar roar echoed throughout the sky and the dragon that had destroyed the town swept down over the forest. Ralof tugged Indis behind a large stone, pulling her out after the beast had become a faint pinprick in the distance.

"There," he began, squeezing her arm. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Indis hesitated before shaking her head. She didn't want to open her mouth, fearing what might happen if she did.

"Let's go," Ralof said as he guided her down the small slope away from the exit. "We don't want to linger here too long. I don't want to risk the dragon coming back or have some Imperials on our tail. We can head to Riverwood. I have a sister there and I know she'll help us."


	3. Chapter 3

_Here we are, already at chapter three! Things are moving along nice and fast and hopefully they'll continue to go that way. This chapter is very similar to the original, assuming you did read that one. However, even those very similar portions have been edited and I've also added in a scene where she meets the Jarl (which I left out the first time because as I said, it was really slopped and rushed, and I'm an idiot for leaving out something that important, so yeah, that's totally new!)._

_This chapter was checked over for me by SkyrimJunkie. If you haven't already, check out her wonderful Hero series; it's about a modern woman who finds herself in Skyrim, and it's absolutely wonderful._

_Next chapter will be a lot of Riverwood stuff, more time with Ralof and know what else? __**It's all going to be completely new material.**__ I got some requests to expand on her first few months in Skyrim and put in a lot more Ralof, so there you go! That'll be up soon. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy it all. :3_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

After they had slipped out into the frosty Skyrim air, her Nord companion had insisted that they stray from the main path just in case any Imperials came along. Sure enough, mere minutes after they had settled down behind some thick, scraggly brush a group of Imperials stormed past. They had waited just in case more spilled out of the underbelly of the Keep, but none did.

They continued on their way after that and several hours later, Indis' feet were throbbing as she wearily plodded along behind Ralof. When he pointed out stone walls and the twinkle of lanterns, she had let out a long sigh of relief. Indis yawned and stretched as they passed underneath the archway of the small wall that separated the settlement, which Ralof had called Riverwood, from the wilds beyond.

"My sister's place is this way." Ralof came to a halt, waiting for Indis to catch up to him. Once she had shuffled to his side, he turned off the main path and headed towards a small house tucked away behind a crooked, ramshackle fence. They slipped through the gate and he pounded on the door. When he spoke, it was in a low, hushed whisper. "Gerdur, it's me, Ralof!"

There was a soft yelp of joy from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of the iron bolt sliding open. When the door was finally flung open, a tall blonde Nord woman stepped over the threshold with her arms held out. "Ralof! Brother, it's good to see you," she gasped, sweeping her sibling up into a tight embrace. She pulled away, concern flooding her eyes as she took in the blood and grime that caked his armor. When she turned to Indis, she raised one inquisitive brow. "Who is this?"

"This is Indis," he said. Indis gave the Nord woman a weary, shaky smile. "Can we come in?" Ralof asked, throwing a worried glance over his shoulder.

"Of course you can." She waved them inside and locked the door behind them. "Now, what's going on? You two look absolutely done in."

Ralof slid into a chair at the table in the room, raking his hands through his dirty, greasy hair. Indis fell back, choosing to lean against the wall, brushing away the bunch of dried lavender that hung from the ceiling. "Sister, have any Imperial soldiers come up from the south today?"

His sister frowned. "There was a group of them, yes. They passed here and continued to Whiterun, though. Why?"

He sighed, letting out a relieved laugh. "Good." He paused, motioning for Indis to join them. "We just escaped from Helgen."

Indis gave his sister a nod before taking the chair next to him. _Helgen. So that's what that little village was called_, she silently mused. She folded her hands in her lap and remained quiet. She was worn down, absolutely bone-tired and she had no desire to part her dry, chapped lips to contribute to the conversation. Not that she had much to say, anyway.

"Escaped? Brother, what are you talking about? Before you tell me, let me get you two some food," Gerdur offered, rising quickly. Indis and Ralof watched as she ladled a thick, chunky stew into a pair of bowls, finally depositing the meal in front of them, along with generous portions of fresh bread. "Now, tell me what's going on."

"Well, it started off when my patrol got captured near Darkwater Crossing," Ralof began, speaking in the breaks he took from shoveling stew into his mouth. "The damned Imperials caught us off guard while we were in camp one night. We thought that we'd be going south to the Imperial City since Ulfric was with us, but they took us to Helgen."

"Hmm." Gerdur's brow crinkled and she swiveled in her chair to look at Indis. "What about you? Are you one of my brother's comrades?"

Indis gulped down the bite of stew she held in her mouth. "I, um… no, I'm not. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Gerdur shot her a sympathetic look and Ralof continued his story. "Well, moving on… So, we were captured and taken to Helgen. Those damned, faithless Imperials had us all lined up and ready to be executed. No offense," he added, giving Indis a small smile.

"None taken," she shrugged, smiling back.

"Indis was the first one to go up to the block and the headsman had his axe raised and ready, and that was when the damned thing swooped down."

"What swooped down?"

"The dragon. Helgen, well… it's been destroyed. Gerdur, it was terrible - bodies everywhere, countless dead and absolute mayhem."

"A dragon? Brother, you cannot be serious!"

"Gerdur, I am! It swooped down, black as night and –"

Indis stopped listening to Ralof, instead choosing to stare down at her bowl. She prodded at a shred of beef floating on the surface. It danced among the bubbles of grease and she finally pushed it away with her spoon, her appetite suddenly vanishing. Over the past few hours, she had managed to push the memories out of her mind. However, as Ralof began to recount their near execution, the dragon fire raining down on the small, sleepy city, and their daring escape, her stomach began to churn and her heart began to pound. The young memories quickly became too much.

"I-I'm tired," she said, knocking her chair back as she abruptly stood. She knelt down and grabbed its legs, quickly turning it upright. "Is there an inn, o-or somewhere else I could stay?"

Gerdur offered her a sympathetic smile. "You can stay here as long as you need to. Any friend of Ralof's is a friend of mine."

* * *

Indis cupped her hands together and dipped them into the small washbasin that Gerdur had given her, splashing the cold water onto her face. She grabbed the dry, clean rag that had been tossed onto a nearby table and dunked it in, wasting no time in setting to work scrubbing away the day's filth. Once she was finished, she dropped the rag into the grey, murky water and pulled the thin linen shift that Gerdur had lent her down over her head.

_Just don't think about it._

She flopped down onto the tiny, ragged cot that had been set up for her in the basement of Gerdur's home, wriggling about as she tried to get comfortable. Indis yawned and pulled the scratchy, wool blanket over her body, wrapping it around her like a cocoon. Now that she was clean, relatively safe and comfortable, her eyelids became heavy and fluttered wearily. Maybe she would actually be able to fall asleep, despite the grim, gruesome images that danced across her mind.

Just as she reached the brink of blissful slumber, loud boots clomping down the stairs woke her up. Indis sat up, blearily watching as Ralof made his way down to her.

"Gerdur and I just finished talking." Ralof tugged his cuirass over his head, revealing a muscular torso dotted with burns and scars.

"Oh?" A blush crept onto Indis' neck and face and she averted her eyes, instead choosing to stare at the cobweb dangling in a nearby corner.

"She said that Jarl Ulfric didn't pass through here. Hopefully, he made it out alive and is safe. Also, she thinks Jarl Balgruuf, the Jarl of Whiterun, should know about the dragon attack. She's asked us to make the journey to Whiterun tomorrow to tell him. Riverwood is unprotected and who knows where that dragon is now. As much as it pains me to say this, Riverwood could be next."

Indis frowned slightly and bit her lip, holding back a sigh. _Oh, that sounds wonderful. Even more walking; just what I wanted._ "What can the Jarl do about a dragon attack?"

Ralof shrugged, wiping his face down with a wet cloth. "I suppose he'll send a detachment of guards. There isn't much else he can do."

"Oh." Indis fell quiet, the nervous twisting returning to the pit of her stomach. Plenty of seasoned soldiers hadn't been able to do anything at Helgen, so a small company of guards would likely end up as the dragon's next tasty meal if it were to attack Riverwood.

She was jerked out of her thoughtful haze when Ralof squeezed her shoulder. "How are you holding up? Today was… it was difficult. It's not something that will be easily forgotten, that's for sure."

"I'm fine," she squeaked, instinctively pulling away. Indis yanked her blanket up, wrapping it around her even more tightly. "Goodnight, Ralof. Wake me up when it's time to leave."

* * *

A strong pair of hands gently gripped Indis' shoulders and shook her awake. Her eyes fluttered opened and she stretched, vision slowly clearing with every slow blink. She clambered out of bed, reaching for the cuirass that had been hers. She surveyed it with weary eyes, noting that someone had attempted to scrub it clean. Despite that, patches of dirt and blood remained. They would likely become permanent stains.

"You're cute when you sleep, you know."

Indis' head jerked up to see Ralof leaning against the wall behind her cot. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're cute. You make all of these squeaks and sighs when you're sleeping." The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned. "C'mon. We need to get going if we're to make it to Whiterun and back before nightfall."

He left her so she could get dressed and Indis hurried, yanking on her filthy armor, tugging on her too-large boots. The war axe she had brought with her from Helgen was resting on a nearby table and her fingers hovered over the scuffed wood handle. After a few moments of hesitation, she picked it up, tucking it into the sheath at her side before making her way upstairs.

"Here you go," Ralof said as she rounded the corner, tossing her a bright green apple. Her hands missed and it fell to the floor with a _thunk_. Embarrassed, she picked it up with a sigh and followed him out of the small house. As she stepped over the threshold, her too-big boots caught on the step and she nearly fell.

_This is going to be a long day._

* * *

The day was bright and clear, with only the faintest wisps of clouds stretching delicately across the vivid deep blue of the sky. A gentle breeze swept down through the trees, sending shivers up and down her bare arms. The day was lovely and not all that different from how Helgen had been when they had arrived there. All of a sudden, thoughts of black wings unfurling, thick smoke trailing upwards, panicked, terrified wails and white-hot heat of dragon fire raced across her mind. _So much for a lovely, relaxing walk._

"What brought you to Skyrim?"

Indis looked up in surprise. They had been walking in silence for what seemed like an age and his voice had startled her, pulling her out of her dark imaginings. She had missed the question. "What? Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"What brought you to Skyrim?"

"I… well, I, uh…," she trailed off, fumbling for a response. Ralof seemed nice enough, but she wasn't exactly sure about spilling all of her secrets to him. Not yet, at least. "I just wanted to get a fresh start, that's all." It was vague, and she hoped it would suffice.

Her answer seems to satisfy him and he nods. "I can understand that. By the Gods, I know there have been some times when I've wanted that. But… why did you choose Skyrim? Didn't you know about the war? It's not exactly the safest place now."

"I didn't know about the war." She blushed with humiliation. _Great. Now he probably thinks I'm stupid along with being weak._ "I didn't get out very much back in Cyrodiil," she added, feeling the need to defend herself. So, uh, what about you? You're a soldier."

"I _am_ a soldier." He laughed, reaching out to swat at some low-hanging branches. "…and?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure where I was going with it." Indis let out a nervous laugh, falling quiet when her mind wandered back to the Jarl that had been in the cart with them. "Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the one in the cart with us… why was he gagged? Nobody else was."

"Ulfric Stormcloak was gagged because he knows the _Thu'um."_

"What now?"

"He spent his youth studying with the Greybeards, who are masters of the Voice," Ralof replied, gesturing to a tall mountain off in the distance. "They have a monastery at High Hrothgar. He learned to Shout during his time with them."

"Er, Shout?"

"It doesn't sound threatening, but he could tear a man to shreds with the power of his Voice alone. I suppose that's what those damned Imperials were afraid of. They were probably worried he'd Shout them all to Oblivion, just like he did the High King."

"So, if he could have Shouted, he could have escaped before any of us ever got to Helgen?"

"Maybe, but who knows?"

Indis bit her lip, deep creases forming in her tiny brow as she reminisced back to the previous day to the tight gag in the Jarl's mouth, the bound hands sitting in his lap… _The bound hands in his lap._ "Jarl Ulfric's hands were in front of him."

"Hmm?"

"His hands were in front of him, so he could have pulled the gag out of his mouth if he wanted to. Maybe… maybe he didn't want to, though. Maybe he wanted to die and be made a martyr." Indis looked up at her companion expectantly, hoping he would be as excited about her realization as she was. He wasn't.

"Oh shush, little Imperial," he admonished as he grimaced and rolled his eyes, reaching over to tousle her hair, his tone more biting and harsh than she expected. "There's no need for you to worry about such things. It will only wrinkle that pretty little face of yours."

She scowled at him, but he only laughed.

They marched on and he paid no mind to her stony glares and icy silence, cheerfully pointing out landmarks as they passed them by. "There are a couple of farms down that way," Ralof said, pointing across a small bridge before nudging her to turn left. "This right here is Honningbrew Meadery and I'll be damned if they don't make some of the best d—"

Ralof came to an abrupt halt, throwing his arm in front of her. "You see that there?" He leaned over, his voice dropping to a hush, excited whisper. "It's a giant." He pointed into the distance and Indis saw what he was staring at. It certainly was a giant, surrounded by three warriors and even though they were a fair distance away, she felt the ground tremble and quake ever so slightly every time the creature took a step.

"Wait here," he commanded, his hand flying to the weapon at his hip. He then pointed to a Whiterun guard standing nearby. "Stay out of trouble with the guard over there. I'm going to go and help them."

Indis sighed, watching him bolt off to join the action. She glanced at the Whiterun guard posted nearby, watching him root around in his nose with one long finger. When he pulled it out, satisfied with what he had found, she couldn't help but shudder in disgust. She turned back to the battle going on a short distance away, frowning. Her mind wandered back to the blunt axe at her side and after a few seconds of mulling it over, she had made up her mind. She was going to join the fight.

She unsheathed her weapon and darted towards the giant. _I am not weak!_

If they hadn't been in the middle of a battle, Ralof and the three strangers who had been fighting would have stopped to laugh at the absurd sight as a tiny Imperial came running at them, a little war axe held high above her head with both hands, swinging wildly at the giant. The creature was large, dangerous and had a formidable club clutched in one massive hand. Luckily for Indis, it was slow as well, and she managed to pass in between its long, lanky legs, slashing away as she did so. It fell quickly, unable to withstand arrows and steel any longer. Indis fumbled about with her axe as she awkwardly attempted to sheath it, feeling pleased.

"What was that?" The question directed at Indis came from a tall redheaded Nord woman with a bow slung across her back and flaking green war paint emblazoned across her face in jagged stripes. She folded her arms across her chest and surveyed the small Imperial. "That was an… _interesting_ technique. Damn sloppy, but not terrible. You might actually make a decent Shield-Sister after a bit of training. You're surprisingly quick and light on your feet. You'd be better off with the bow. I could teach you a thing or two if you were to join the Companions."

Indis looked the three over with mild interest. They looked tough, ragged, and their armor was caked with mud, blood, and grime. She had no idea what a Shield-Sister was, or what the Companions were, but they looked like a bunch of rough and tumble mercenaries to her. "Sounds like a waste of time to me," she said, crossing her arms.

"Well, nobody asked you," the woman replied, indignation flashing across her warpaint-adorned face. "Farkas, Ria," she snapped, turning to her companions. "It's time to go back to Jorrvaskr."

The male Companion, a handsome, scruffy fellow with kind eyes turned to Indis. "Ah, don't worry about Aela. She'll be fine once she blows off some steam. I'm Farkas," he added, extending one dirty hand to Indis with a smile. He paused, adjusting the massive weapon on his back. "You look strong. Come to Jorrvaskr if you change your mind. I wouldn't mind seeing you around again." After giving her a flirty wink he took off, breaking into a light jog to catch up with his companions.

Ralof watched Farkas walk away with a glare before turning to Indis. He sighed loudly and placed one palm on her shoulder. "You really don't know anything about Skyrim, do you? You didn't even know what the Companions were." He laughed, shaking his head. "I can't do anything about your little affront to the Companions, but I think it would be best if you just let me hold onto this," he said, gently removing the iron axe from her hands. "Come on, we're almost to Whiterun. Let's keep moving."

* * *

"Welcome to Whiterun," Ralof said, stretching out both arms in front of him. They were standing in the middle of the city's bustling marketplace and after nearly getting run down with a cart, Indis scooted a little closer to him.

"I like it," she admitted. Over the past few weeks, Indis had become accustomed to wide open roads, sleepy villages, and sprawling plains and forests. The familiar buzz of a large city was something that she had missed and it left her with a knot forming in her stomach. She missed Bravil, but she brushed her homesick pangs aside. "Where's the Jarl that we need to go see?"

Ralof pointed to a tall structure that reached towards the sky. "See that right there? That's Dragonsreach. You can find him up there."

It took a few seconds for her to process his words. "Wait, what? Are you not coming with me?"

"No, I'm not. I figured you could handle it on your own. You'll likely just pass the message on to his housecarl or steward. Now, get going. I'll meet you back here after you're done. I've got some business to attend to."

* * *

Indis had slipped through the tall doors of Dragonsreach, desperately hoping that she could just have a short chat with someone who served the Jarl and be on her way. After she had been pushed forward to his throne by a Dunmer woman with a persistent scowl, it became clear that she would get to meet the man who ran the hold. From what she could recall of Gerdur and Ralof's conversation, Whiterun was a damned important hold and the Jarl had an endless list of important things to do. When his housecarl shoved her forward, Indis could see him let out a small sigh and roll his eyes ever so slightly. _Wonderful, I haven't even opened my mouth and he's already irritated with me._ Twisting her torn, fraying cuirass in between her hands, she stood in front of his throne silent, shaking and quaking like a dog about to piss itself.

Indis waited quietly for the Jarl to speak, eyes cast down as he surveyed her.

"You, come here," he barked, beckoning for her to come forward with a pair of slim, bony fingers. It was apparent that his patience was already wearing dangerously thin. "What are you doing here? This had better be damned important."

She remained quiet, still staring at the floor, mind racing as she tried to figure out what to say. Indis had met and mingled with plenty of nobility and aristocrats growing up in Cyrodiil, but she had never been in a situation like _this_. After letting out another sigh, the Jarl snorted. "By the Divines, girl. Step forward. I'm not going to eat you."

Indis' head jerked up and she gave a faint, nervous laugh. Her eyes widened as she hesitated ever so slightly before shuffling towards him, her small, freckled hands clutching at her cuirass' worn hem. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying not to think about how very insignificant, idiotic, and unimportant she must seem. He didn't know who she was, or where she had come from, and she could tell from the blasé expression on his face that he clearly didn't care. "Gerdur of Riverwood sent me," she began, willing her voice to be strong. It didn't work and her soft words cracked. "She sent me because she believes Riverwood is in danger after what happened at Helgen."

At the mention of Helgen and the potential threat to Riverwood, the Jarl perked up, his bright blue eyes narrowing. "You know about Helgen?" he asked, his voice low and curious.

She nodded frantically, her head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. His interest and intrigue in Helgen encouraged her. Perhaps she wasn't such an unimportant idiot after all. "I was there, Jarl Bal…Jarl Bal…," she trailed off, wishing she had paid a bit more attention when Gerdur had told her the name of the man who governed Whiterun Hold.

"Balgruuf," he finally interjected with a sigh, waving his hand, indicating that she should continue. "That's my name. Now, you said that Gerdur sent you? Why? And you were at Helgen? That's most intriguing. It'd be interesting to hear from someone that was actually there, instead of these secondhand reports. I want to know if the tales are true."

Before speaking again, she took a deep breath, hoping that he couldn't hear her nervous wheezing. "She believes that Riverwood might be in danger, since it's so close to Helgen," Indis elaborated, the feeling that the Jarl might actually be interested in what she had to say calming her frazzled nerves. "I was at Helgen, yes."

"So, it was attacked by a dragon?"

"Yes, Jarl Balgruuf," she replied meekly, trying to push the all too fresh images of Helgen out of her mind. She wondered if she really, truly had escaped what had happened there. The dragon had made it out alive, after all. She and Ralof had watched it fly away, soaring over the mountains until it became a distant pinprick in the distance. The images of scorched, charred bodies littering the ground, cries and screeches of agony, and the sight of melted steel and twisted stone flooded her mind. Bile rose in her throat and her stomach had twisted itself into a nervous knot when the Jarl spoke again, thankfully interrupting the dark thoughts that had pushed their way to the front of her mind.

He had been stroking at his beard thoughtfully, twisting the grey and blonde strands around. "Very interesting. What exactly happened?"

"There was a dragon, and it attacked right as they were about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak. I ran after that. I made my way through the Keep. I'm not entirely sure how many people survived," she added.

"Ulfric, hmm? Feh, I should have known that he would have been mixed up in this somehow. Do you think that dragon had something to do with him? Do you think he…do you think it was brought forth by him? He does use the Voice," Balgruuf mused out loud.

Indis stared at him silently for a few seconds, giving him a look that could very easily be read as, _how the fuck should I know?_ She gave a tiny shrug. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. It didn't seem like it was his dragon or anything, though," she replied, put off by the absurd notion that someone could control or summon a dragon. Maybe her father hadn't been lying when he had told her that all people in power were complete morons, at least in one way or another.

"Of course. Why were you at Helgen?"

"I…," she faltered, hands fleeing to her sides, beginning to twist nervously at her cuirass once more. Any calm that had come over her quickly disappeared as she considered the possibility that he could very well pick up where the Imperials had left off. "I was just passing through, Jarl Balgruuf. I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," she continued, hoping he didn't press the matter. It was true; a little bit of it, at least. It _was_ simply a matter of being in the worst place at the worst time that had put her on a cart to Helgen to begin with. She wasn't a soldier, and it wasn't the war that had put her in line for the chopping block.

She watch as his eyes raked over her once more, pausing to give ample time to inspect what she was wearing, realizing that he likely thought she was a Stormcloak ready to be executed alongside their leader. Indis opened her mouth to continue, ready to clear up any confusion, but snapped it shut when he gave an indifferent shrug and stood.

"It makes no difference to me who the Imperials want to execute and I won't get myself involved in their proceedings. That's their business, not mine. Now, you've done a great favor not just for me, but for the people of Whiterun as well," he said, eyes crinkling at the corners as he gave her what seemed to be a genuinely kind and appreciative smile. "You have my gratitude. Irileth," he said as he snapped his fingers, suddenly turning to the Dunmer woman that had first accosted Indis when she had entered Dragonsreach. "I need you to ready some guards to leave for Riverwood immediately." After the woman had left, he turned to Indis once more. "Once again, you have my thanks. Riverwood should be safe now."

Indis gave him a wan smile. There had been dozens of Imperial soldiers at Helgen, all fighting, struggling to down the massive beast, but the town had still been completely razed and burned to the ground. She wouldn't sleep any more comfortably at night, knowing what had happened at Helgen, knowing how close Riverwood was, but perhaps with a useless little company of guards, others would. "Thank you, Jarl Balgruuf. Everyone in Riverwood will truly appreciate this."

"Now, there is the matter of your payment. I believe you deserve something in return for coming here and delivering the message. What would you like? A new blade? There are plenty to choose from in my armory."

She gnawed at her lip thoughtfully, mind flicking back to Ralof gently removing the war axe from her tight grip, shaking her head. "No thank you, Jarl Balgruuf."

"I insist. There must be something."

"Spell tomes?" she said finally, settling on the first suggestion that came to her. She didn't know much magic, and it surely couldn't hurt to learn more. At her request, he smiled and took off, motioning for her to follow him into a small room just off to the side of the great hall they were in. She obliged, stopping in front of a large table, cluttered with books, several long, thin rolled up pieces of parchment and a smattering of soul gems.

The Jarl cleared his throat and the robed wizard that had been hunched over his enchanting table stood, tossing them a look of obvious annoyance once he had turned away from the task he had been consumed with.

"Farengar, this young woman has helped me out a great deal, and I'd like you to give her some spell tomes as thanks for her efforts. This is…," Jarl Balgruuf trailed off.

"Indis. My name is Indis."

"Indis, this is my court wizard, Farengar. As I said, I'd like her to have some spell tomes as a reward for everything she's done for Whiterun," he continued, pausing to place a hand on her shoulder as he made to leave. "As I've said before, Whiterun is in your debt. I hope I can call again on you in the future if I, or my hold, is in need of aid. I like your initiative."

"Oh, er, of course."

"Excellent. Thank you for delivering the news. Goodbye, Indis."

The Jarl left to wander upstairs to his chambers, leaving Indis with a surly Nord mage, who was currently inspecting her with quiet contemplation, the tapping of his bouncing foot and the occasional sigh breaking the uncomfortable silence that stretched between them. He eventually turned away from her towards the bookshelf that was nestled in between his enchanting table and alchemy laboratory, a slim finger reaching out to run along the spines of the books. The wizard Farengar placed several books in the crook of one arm, rejoining Indis after a few minutes of perusing his collection.

"An illusion spell to calm your enemies," he began, thick Nordic accent brusque and annoyed as he tossed the first spell down on the table and shoved it towards her, before repeating the process with those that remained. "Illusion spells have a number of uses. They can silence heavy feet, calm your enemies, or send someone into a rage. These will all be useful for someone as…," he trailed, off, his eyes flicking up and down her form as he searched for the words. "As… tiny and weak looking as you are. Now, leave. I have important things to do."

Indis scooped up the books with a frown, muttering her thanks as she hugged them to her chest, wasting no time in exiting the room. She glanced back towards where Jarl Balgruuf had been sitting, sighing when she saw the empty throne. He had been cold, fierce and plenty intimidating at first, but she had found herself quickly warming up to him, and she wished she had gotten another chance to thank him yet again. After staring at the vacant throne for a few seconds, she shook her head, making her way towards the massive set of doors that she had entered through, nodding at the guard that pulled one of them open for her. She stepped through, giving one last sidelong at the skeleton bobbing up and down in the crystalline waters of the moat, pleased that it hadn't been an indicator of what she would found inside.

She found her way back to the marketplace, standing on the tips of her toes so she could see above the crowd. It wasn't even noon yet, but she was already exhausted and ready to return to Riverwood. Spotting the blond Nord, she pushed her way through the throng of people to make her way over to him.

"That was fast. What happened?" he asked, moving over to make room for her.

"Not much. He asked about what happened at Helgen and said he'd send a detachment of troops to Riverwood. He said he liked my initiative, or something along those lines, and offered me some new armor, but I took some spell tomes instead," she said, beaming as she held up the stack of books. "Look, illusion spells! Oh, and he said he might require my assistance again at some point. Do you know what that might mean?"

"Pfft, magic. Well, to each their own, I suppose," he said, causing Indis to wrinkle her nose at him.

"Oh, hush!" She gave him a hard nudge with her elbow.

"But on a more serious note, it would seem that the Jarl found you trustworthy and reliable and that's a mighty compliment. Trust is a hard commodity to come by in these difficult days. I'm sure if he really does need your aid in the future, he'd reward you quite well. Ah, anyway, I got you something. I figured this might be a better choice of weapon for you, considering you're a little… overenthusiastic with a blade."

Indis gingerly took it, running her hands over the smooth grain of the wood, fingers following the delicate, sloping curves of the weapon. She gave the bowstring a light pluck and it vibrated, a low hum resonating through the air. "Ralof, you shouldn't have bought this for me, I-I mean, I don't even know how to shoot a bow."

Ralof held up his hand, motioning for her to be silent. "You know, when most receive a gift, they say thank you," he playfully teased. "No fear, I'll teach you how to use it. You can practice on mudcrabs on our way back to Riverwood. First, we need to get you some clothes, though. You probably don't want to keep that old armor and I don't think any of Gerdur's old dresses will fit you."

He held open the door of a small shop for her and ushered her inside. "So, have you given any thought to what you'll do after this?"

The smile that had been on her face after he gave her the bow quickly vanished, replaced by a worried frown. "No, I haven't," she sighed, running one hand over her face. "I might stay here in Whiterun. Or who knows, maybe I'll take those Companions up on their offer." She laughed, running her hands over a small burgundy dress resting on a table.

"Ha, you don't want to do that! You should stay in Riverwood."

"What? Where exactly would I stay in Riverwood, hmm?"

"You can stay with Gerdur and her family. She made the offer and she means it. I'll be there, too," he added, shooting her a hopeful smile. "She said that you can stay as long as you need to. She meant it."

After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, Indis slung the dress over one arm and nodded. "I think I'd like that. I'll stay in Riverwood."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

_Yellow-orange flames licked at the crisp Skyrim air, creating dark tendrils of inky black smoke that drifted upwards. The haze of smoke obscured Indis' vision, causing her to blink furiously in response. She waved her bound hands in front of her face to clear the air, a deep, wracking cough emerging from her lungs. The smoke bit at her eyes and set her lungs afire. She stumbled forward, searching for the soldier that had urged her to follow him. _

_Indis passed through what had once undoubtedly been a cozy, comfortable home, gasping when she nearly stepped on the hand that was reaching out._

_Lying on the ground was a woman, clutching at Indis' leg with swollen fingers. The woman was badly burnt, the ashy remnants of her dress flaking away with every movement. The left side of her body was a bubbling, blistering mess of shiny pink flesh, no doubt from the dragon fire that was raining down from the dark skies. She opened her mouth to speak, her one good eye that remained silently begging Indis, for anyone, to help. _

Indis awoke with a start, gasping as she kicked away the heavy blankets that were wrapped around her. Sitting up in her small bed, she rubbed at the sleep gathered in the corner of her eyes. She flung her legs over the side of her bed and stood, joints softly popping and cracking as she stretched. Shuffling over to the small end table that held her meager belongings, she peeled off her sweat-drenched nightgown and draped it over a nearby chair. Hopefully, it would air out quickly. _More of that dragon haunting me in my sleep_, she silently lamented as she rooted around in a drawer. Her hand emerged tightly clasped around a set of clothing. _I hope these dreams end soon._

After pulling on a small, russet-colored dress, she tugged on her shoes and bounded up the short flight of stairs that led to the main level of Hod and Gerdur's house. She peeked out, surprised to see Gerdur standing behind the counter.

Gerdur turned at the sound of footsteps, giving Indis a small nod as she approached. "Ah, I was wondering when you would be up. It's almost noon. Grab an apron and help me," she said, tilting her head towards the worn, stained linen aprons hanging nearby. "Frodnar and Dorthe brought back all of these snowberries. I figured I'd try to make a pie out of them."

"Sure." Indis slipped one of the large aprons around her neck, clumsily tying it as she joined Ralof's sister. She accepted the flour-dusted rolling pin that was held out to her, setting to work on the thick dough that was spread out on the counter. She began rolling, somehow managing to make the dough even more lumpy and uneven than it already was.

Silence quickly settled between them and after a minute had passed Gerdur cleared her throat. "So," she began, glancing over at Indis. "It's been a month since Helgen now. How long were you planning on staying? Not that having you here has been a bother, or anything of the sort," she quickly added, a forced smile working its way onto her face. "Hod and I were just curious, that's all."

Indis continued her silent, rhythmic rolling, her face beginning to burn with embarrassment. Over the past few weeks she had thought about what she could do or where she could go, but after her mind came up blank every time, she quickly pushed the thoughts away for another time. "I-I, uh, I'm not sure. I'm not really sure where I could go."

"There's plenty of work to be found in Whiterun, I'm sure of it. I know you could find something there," Gerdur offered, her voice sounding a little too enthusiastic for Indis' liking. "If you wanted to stay here in Riverwood, I'm sure you could even talk to Delphine at the inn about working there. I don't think Ralof will be going back to the Stormcloaks. I'm sure he wouldn't mind having you around."

Indis stopped rolling, setting the pin aside. She took a deep breath before looking up to meet Gerdur's eyes. "I… I suppose I could do that." She gulped nervously, passing off the thin, round pie crust into Gerdur's hands. She hadn't had much interaction with the blonde Breton who ran the inn, but she had enough to know that the woman was abrasive, tough and bossy.

"You should go now!" Gerdur dusted her hands off her apron before gesturing towards the door with what Indis felt was a little too much excitement. "She's probably there right now," she continued, reaching out to untie Indis' apron. "Go," she urged, gently, yet forcefully, guiding Indis out the door. "Good luck!"

* * *

Indis squirmed uncomfortably under Delphine's gaze, hoping that the innkeeper couldn't see the way her hands anxiously twisted the fabric of her dress underneath the small, rickety table they were seated at. She took a deep breath, readying herself to speak, but Delphine beat her to the punch.

"Well, what did you want? Orgnar dragged me out here saying that you had something to ask." The blonde woman's fingers had begun to tap an erratic, impatient rhythm on the table. "I don't have all day, so if you have something to say, you need to just say it."

"Oh, um, right." Indis inhaled sharply, giving the older woman a shaky smile. "I'm here because, well, because I…" she trailed off, frantically fumbling for what she should say next, swallowing nervously when she realized she had no idea what to say. _What am I supposed to do now? I'm here because I'd like one job, please._ "I need a job."

One golden eyebrow arched upwards and the Breton woman's line forehead wrinkled further. "A job, hmm? This place isn't exactly bustling, you know," she said, gesturing to the large, empty space behind them. "It's a small town and we haven't had much business. Orgnar and I, well, _I_, handle things just fine." After flashing the man behind the bar an indignant look, Delphine stood, giving Indis a quick, terse nod. "Now, if that's all-"

"Please," Indis gasped, reaching out to grab Delphine's arm. "I-I really need this." She paused, her grip slackening when she realized she had been digging her nails into the woman's flesh. "I, uh, I don't really know how to do much," she admitted, her hand falling to the table. "But I can learn pretty quickly."

Delphine remained silent, face impassive and blank as she swept her eyes over Indis. After a few moments of contemplation, she threw her hands up in the air, letting out a loud groan. "Oh, fine," she sighed, brushing her long ponytail off of one shoulder. "You can work here. I can't pay you, but I can offer you room and board in addition to any tips that you might receive from patrons."

Indis jumped up, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. "Oh, thank you," she breathed, a wide, lopsided grin working itself onto her face. "I really appreciate it."

"Go on now," Delphine said, sweeping her hand towards the door. "Go get all of your things and come back here. After you get moved in, I've got some work for you to do."

* * *

Indis squinted, her one open eye fixed on the small tin cup set out before her. She flicked the balled-up piece of parchment held in place by one slim finger towards the cup, sighing in frustration when it bounced off the rim. "Damn," she grumbled, glaring at a laughing Orgnar. "Let me ju-"

The click of angry heels approaching caused both Indis and Orgnar to abruptly stand up straight. Indis snatched up the broom that had been resting against the counter of the inn's bar and Orgnar picked up the rag he had set aside. She began to sweep erratically and he began vigorously scrubbing the counter, whistling cheerfully.

"I know you two weren't working." Delphine stopped in front of them, her lips pursed in a thin, straight line. "I swear, with you two around, it's like having one very lazy worker that _kind_ of gets things done. Here," she said, jerking the broom out of Indis' hand, replacing it with a small basket and a crumpled piece of paper. "We're running low on alchemy ingredients. I need you to go out and find some. Take that bow of yours and see if you can't bring back some meat, too."

* * *

Indis wriggled her fingers, clenching her eyes shut as she concentrated on summoning the magicka required for her spell. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind and focused, retrieving thoughts of stillness, silence, and quiet creeping. She felt the magicka well up in the palm of her hands and spread to the tips of her fingers before bursting forth. Opening her eyes, she watched as the pale, swirling tendrils of a muffling spell enveloped her legs and feet. Satisfied that it had worked, she crept out from her position behind a large boulder and towards the mudcrab that was at work in the sand a few yards away.

The creature continued to dig in the murky silt as she approached; blissfully unaware that she was there until it was too late. She snatched the animal up, ignoring its furious clicking and hissing, holding it out for Ralof to see. "I told you I could sneak up on it," she said proudly, taking care to avoid its claws as she marched over to him.

He looked up at her with a goofy grin. "Well done, Indis. You proved you can sneak up on a mudcrab. What's next?"

"People," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'll sneak up on people."

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "What would you want to sneak up on people for? Besides, I wasn't talking about that." He pointed to the wriggling creature she still had clutched between her hands. "I want to know what's next for that fellow."

"Oh." Indis silently mulled over her options for a few seconds then shrugged. "I supposed I could bring him back to the inn. Delphine does like to use them in stews and potions."

"Set him down and I'll take care of him."

Indis placed the animal back on the ground, watching as the mudcrab scuttled away towards freedom. A few fleeting seconds later, it was still, an arrow embedded in its body. She knelt down and picked it up, tucking it underneath one arm as she walked towards the carcass of the doe she had killed earlier. After setting the mudcrab down next to the slaughtered deer, she rejoined Ralof on the mossy boulder he had been lounging on. "Delphine should be happy with all of that. I found plenty of mushrooms, too."

"She should be," he laughed, stretching his legs out. "But it seems like she seldom is."

Indis sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest, hugging them with her arms. "That's true."

They both fell silent, listening to the soft chirp of insects, enjoying basking in the golden light of late afternoon. Suddenly, Indis spoke. "Where do you think it went?"

"Hmm?"

She stared out towards the crumbling structure of a ruin he had called Bleak Falls Barrow months ago, gooseflesh cropping up on her bare arms as she recalled the black dragon that had flown off over the ruin. "The dragon from Helgen. It's been three months since that day and I haven't heard anything about it. It flew off over those mountains, remember?" She pointed.

Ralof sat up, his eyes following her finger. "Of course I remember." He shuddered, shaking his head. "I don't know about you, but I'm perfectly fine not seeing the damn thing ever again."

"Agreed." She instinctively scooted a little closer to him, suddenly feeling cold. "Do you still think about it?"

"About Helgen?"

"Yes, Helgen."

His thick brows furrowed together. "I do. I still dream about that day. I know you do, too," he added, shooting her a sympathetic glance. He reached over, taking her hand, lacing her fingers through his. "You get a bit, uh, vocal during your nightmares."

She blushed, her eyes still focused on the crumbling stone off in the far distance. "Do I really?"

"You do. It's all right, though," he added, squeezing her hand. "I understand. It's not something that's easily forgotten. We'll probably carry that memory with us the rest of our lives," he added somberly.

Indis pulled her hand away, scrambling off the boulder they had been sitting on. "We should probably get back to Riverwood. I'm sure I'm going to get it from Delphine if I'm not back before the sun sets." She paused, slinging her knapsack and bow over one shoulder. "Are you sure Gerdur doesn't mind you spending so much time with me?"

Ralof shook his head. Kneeling down by the deer, he scooped it up and threw it over one shoulder with a loud grunt. "Gerdur has plenty of help at the mill. She doesn't mind at all. Come on, we need to get moving."

* * *

"Where on Nirn have you been? I thought you would be back hours ago."

Indis looked up, shoulders slouching when she saw Delphine standing in front of the fire pit that the Sleeping Giant Inn housed. The Breton innkeeper's lips were pursed into a thin, tight line and her foot tapped erratically as she planted her hands on her hips. She was obviously displeased, but that wasn't surprising in the least. She was usually in a sour mood, and this evening, it just seemed to be a little worse.

"Hunting, remember?" Indis replied, holding out the mudcrab in her arms. "I brought this back. A doe, as well."

"Good," Delphine replied, her frown subsiding ever so slightly. "You're going to be making the stew for our guests tonight. You can do everything else that you were supposed to do tomorrow, I suppose. Orgnar has vanished, gods only know where, and I need to get that deer skinned. You're in charge of dinner."

The blonde snatched up the mudcrab in Indis' hands and set towards the door, looking back one last time. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work."

* * *

The inn's kitchen was incredibly tight and cramped and the fire roaring underneath the cooking kettle made the small space sweltering and difficult to breathe in. Indis reached up, wiping away the beads of sweat that rolled down her brow with her sleeve, gnawing on her lip as she anxiously stared at plethora of ingredients available to her. She reached towards a small jar tucked away on a shelf above her, hesitating as she read the label. With a loud, melodramatic groan, she shoved in back into place. She twisted each bottle around so she could see what she was dealing with, moving on after she had read the faded, cracked labels. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

It had only been a few months since she had made Riverwood her home, temporarily, at least, and while she had accumulated all kinds of new skills and knowledge, cooking a stew was certainly _not_ on the list.

Scratching her head, she snatched up a nearby book lying on a cluttered counter, hoping it was a cookbook of some kind. After flipping through some of the worn, yellowed pages, she quickly realized that it wasn't and tossed it aside in frustration, turning back to the cooking kettle filled with boiling water. She stared at it in quiet contemplation, watching as bubbles roiled to the surface, bursting once they arrived, sending a cloud of steam wafting upwards towards the ceiling. _It can't be that hard to make a stew,_ she silently mused, snatching up a carrot off a nearby table. _I'm sure I can figure this out just fine. _

After glancing at the vegetable and deciding that it was clean enough, she grabbed a clean knife that was resting on the counter and began to slice the carrot, tossing the large, uneven chunks into the boiling water. She hesitated once she reached the end, considering the leafy green bits that shot out of the top. Indis gave them a suspicious sniff and after finding out that they had a mild, pleasant earthy smell, she decided that they were suitable to join the rest of the carrot and tossed them in. She grabbed a nearby potato, not even bothering to inspect it to make sure it was free of dirt, not even taking the time to peel it, and set to work chopping it up into large chunks. A few tomatoes, a head of cabbage, and then an apple, were her next victims. Her knife slashed away and violently mashed them to bits and once she was done, their pulverized remains were cast aside into the blistering hot water.

"Now, for some herbs and spices…," she mumbled to herself, reaching up to the glass jars perched on the shelves above her head. She stood on her tiptoes, grabbing a few random jars before quickly depositing them on the counter. "Frost mirriam," she began, pulling the lid off, shaking the dried leaves into the water. "Elves ear… oops," she giggled, watching as the entire contents of the jar made their way into the stew. She grabbed the last jar, reading the words on the faded label. It was lavender. "Oh, why not," she shrugged, dumping it in to join the rest of the ingredients.

"It needs some meaty bits," she continued, grabbing a slab of dried venison that was hanging on a meat hook overhead. She sliced it up the same as she had the other ingredients, tossing the tiny pieces in to join them. Wiping her dirty hands on her apron, she stared into the stew, feeling the faintest swell of pride as she gazed down at her accomplishment. She watched it boil for several more minutes, churning its contents up towards the surface, occasionally prodding at it with a long wooden spoon. After a few more minutes had passed, she called out. "Delphine! I'm done."

As the footsteps that approached grew nearer, she realized she had forgotten one ingredient. "Salt," she said, grabbing the little jar off a tiny table, dumping a copious amount in before stirring it once more. _There, it's done._ She dusted off her hands before planting them on her hips, staring at the roiling cauldron, feeling pleased with herself.

Delphine stuck her head into the small kitchen, giving a nod of satisfaction once she had glanced at the full cooking kettle. "Good, it's about time. Put some into bowls and start bringing them out."

Indis obliged, ladling what she hoped was a delicious, hearty stew into several bowls. She scooped them up, all of them balancing precariously in her arms as she slowly shuffled out into the main room of the inn, depositing a bowl in front of each waiting guest, hesitating when she arrived in front of Ralof. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard from Delphine that you were in charge of dinner. I thought I'd eat here tonight," Ralof replied, giving her a smile as she placed the final bowl in front of him. He picked his spoon up from the table, wasting no time in shoveling a hearty, heaping spoonful into his mouth. His smile quickly faded as he chewed slowly, finally swallowing after what seemed like an age.

"Well, how is it?" Indis asked, propping her elbows up on the table as she leaned forward expectantly. "How did I do? This was my first time making a stew. I'll admit; I really didn't know what I was doing."

Before Ralof could respond, he was interrupted by an angry Delphine, who had marched over to their position, fury in her eyes. "What is this?" she asked, waving one hand at the bowl in front of Ralof. "What the fuck did you put in there? I've been getting complaints and I went to taste some for myself and for the love of the Divines, what on Nirn did you put in there?"

"Just some things I found in the kitchen."

"Oh? What are these things?"

"Carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, apple, um, some frost mirriam, elves ear, lavender, and dried venison," she replied, ticking off a finger for every ingredient she listed.

"What? Did you bother to wash the ingredients? Dirt, Indis. It tastes like there's dirt in there, and it's too damn salty. Not to mention, plenty of it is undercooked. And… and lavender? What on earth did you do? How could you muck up something as simple as a stew?" Delphine threw her hands up into the air in defeat. "It tastes like skeever shit. I can't feed this to people."

Indis frowned, briefly recalling a piece of advice Orgnar had given her when she had first started working there. _Never admit you're right_, he had muttered to her late one evening after swilling back more bottles of mead than usual. _She's insufferable if you do and she'll never let you forget all of those times you fucked up. Admit you're wrong and you'll get a constant reminder._

"I was just making a stew, that's all," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "Perhaps you cannot appreciate my culinary talents, Delphine."

Delphine remained silent for several seconds, eyes narrowing as she stared Indis down. "Can't you do anything correctly?" she groaned, wringing her hands. "Just… just go clean up the kitchen. _Now_," she hissed, letting out a tiny mumble that sounded like, 'Gods damned Imperial' before darting off towards a guest of the inn that flagged her down.

Indis turned back, meeting Ralof's inquisitive eyes with her own. "What?"

"She looked furious, and it really didn't seem to bother you."

"She was, but that's nothing new. She usually gets angry with me at least once a day."

"What? Why?"

"You want to know why? Apparently, I'm _very_ good at mucking things up."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Here we are with a chapter of all new stuff! I got a few requests to expand on her time in Riverwood and get a little bit more detail as far as what she was doing there goes. This chapter will be all about that, plus, there will be more time with Ralof. The next chapter will be more Ralof, more Riverwood, and then after that, there'll be some change in her life. I hope everyone enjoyed!_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Indis raised one hand to shield her eyes, squinting at the distant horizon, a pleased grin crossing her face when she saw the pale green glow of a nirnroot plant. "Hey, don't watch me," she instructed to the blond Nord standing behind her, indicating for him to whirl around.

Once Ralof had turned away with a mumble and a groan, she kicked off her boots. She peeled off the rest of her clothes and tossed them down on the ground to join her growing pile of clothes. Stepping into the water, she winced as her bare flesh made contact with the ice cold water. Gradually, she eased her way in, shivering and hissing through gritted teeth. "I'll be back soon," she called out to her companion before taking off, swimming towards the where islet she spotted nirnroot growing.

Her pace quickened as soon as a pair of slaughterfish swam up next to her, yelping when their razor-sharp teeth managed to nip her bare thigh. Finally, she reached the little island's shore, eager to get out of the water. There were two nirnroot plants growing there and she sighed with satisfaction as she knelt down to gingerly pull them out of the ground. _Delphine ought to be happy with this._

With the pair of nirnroot clutched tightly in her hand, she kicked at the slaughterfish still circling the small patch of land, shooing them away before diving back in. Swimming back to the opposite shore was a little more difficult and tiring due to the plants in her hand and the direction of the current, but she still managed just fine, emerging breathless and victorious after a few minutes.

Ralof was waiting patiently for her at the shoreline, still facing away towards the thick forest a stone's throw away. Snatching up the cloak that had been draped over a toppled tree, she dabbed away at her skin, wiping away the droplets of water that remained before getting dressed.

"I hope this is enough for Delphine," she sighed, carefully placing the plants into the knapsack she carried. "Nirnroot is damn hard to find, though. Are you ready to head back to Riverwood now?"

"Not yet. I have something to take care of first." After Indis whirled around, fixing him with a confused stare, he continued. "There's a small group of bandits that's been in Embershard Mine for quite a while now. I haven't seen a bounty posted, but they need to be taken care of." Ralof brushed past her, moving with more determination and purpose. "There's a little path that leads to the mine just up ahead."

She broke into a light jog to catch up with him. "Can I come with you?" she began excitedly, reaching for the bow on her back. "I can help. I can be your back up.".

He stopped in front of the path, blocking her way. He shook his head as he fumbled with the leather straps at his side that kept his axe in place. "It's too dangerous, Indis. Bandits are something entirely different from mudcrabs." When she scowled at him, he let out a short, barking laugh. The sound vanished quickly into the crisp air in front of them and his face fell. "These are dangerous people. They've been attacking and slaughtering people."

She pursed her lips. "If they're so dangerous, don't you want some help?"

He wriggled the fingers that were wrapped around the handle of his axe and if she didn't know any better, she could swear he was flexing his arm as well. "I'll be back soon." He swooped down, catching her off guard with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Just wait here. It should take no time at all."

* * *

There was a gnarled knot on the side of the stump that Indis had perched herself on, one that she had been carving away at, digging into with the blunt blade of the dagger she carried. It was a boring way to pass the time, but it had served her well enough since Ralof had slunk away up the path. Tucking her tiny blade back into the sheath on her ankle, she glanced up, surprised to see a burning orange sun dipping low into the sky. She snatched up a small rock from the ground and tossed it up and down over and over again, frowning.

_Where is Ralof?_

She stood and tucked the rock into her pocket, then dusted off her trousers as she cast a worried glance up the path he had taken over an hour ago. Indis grabbed the bow off her back, slender fingers gripping the smooth, supple wood tight. "It couldn't hurt to go check," she muttered to herself as she stepped off of the main road. Indis crept along the dust and trampled weeds, reaching for an arrow as she ascended to the top. When her bow was ready, she burst upwards to the top of the path, ready to fire.

A small flock of birds set off in flight upon her arrival, flashing wings and underbellies of molten gold as they took off in flight. They chattered angrily as they settled down in the canopy above and Indis ignored them as she moved forward towards the door. When she caught sight of the dead bandit sprawled out in front of the entrance, she lowered her weapon.

She slipped a little closer, inspected the man in the swinging light of the lantern hung above, involuntarily shuddering when she saw the gaping wound in his neck. Ralof's axe had cleaved through flesh and bone, crimson oozing out slowly. Flies had begun to flock towards the body, dancing around in the air. As she stepped over the thick pool of blood that had collected around the corpse, a gust of wind swept down through the trees. Needles and leaves rustled, bringing not just the rich, beautiful aroma of pine with them, but the metallic tang of fresh blood as well.

One hand abandoned her bow, flying to shield her hand and mouth from the scent. Stumbling towards the door to the mine, her legs trembled, knees threatening to buckle. Indis closed her eyes, letting her hand fall, breathing deeply. _Calm, just stay calm… you can do this._

She twisted the doorknob slowly and gave a gently push, wincing when the hinges let out a loud shriek and penetrated the silence. Once she was inside, she shut the door behind her, sighing with relief when it did so silently. Indis took off down the gently sloping incline, ears pricked for voices or footsteps, carefully listening for something other than the crunch of gravel and the whistle of wind shredding through the wooden slats of the door.

Rounding a corner, she halted, ducking down behind a large wooden post. There was a rickety looking bridge stretched from one side of the cavern to a flight of stairs that led down to a small earthen clearing. Her eyes followed the steps down, widening when she saw the crimson that dripped off of several wooden steps. She swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping it didn't belong to Ralof, eyes flicking to the pair of bandits that were resting at the table in the clearing playing cards. Edging a little bit closer to the bridge, she squinted at the ground. It glistened in the pale torchlight, swimming with rainbow hues that danced and swirled together. It took her a few seconds to put it together, but once she had, she grinned. _Oil._

Indis crawled to the other side of the tunnel making sure the two bandits couldn't see her before standing slowly. There were three clay pots dangling from the ceiling, filled with small fires that illuminated the dark, dank space. She nocked an arrow and slowly pulled the bowstring back, taking careful aim at the one dangling closest to the bandits as she closed one eye. The fingers that had held the string taut released it and with a flash of feathers and a low, vibrating hum, the arrow flew.

It smashed into the pot, sending shards of clay and bright orange flame downwards. The bandits looked up, surprised by the sound, but it was too late. It took a split second for the fire-filled pot to come crashing down onto the mine floor, flames beginning to greedily lick at the oil-slicked ground. The bandits were quickly engulfed by the flash inferno, their pained howls and screams resonating against dirt and stone.

Indis crouched back down, watching as they gave into pointless, instinctual actions and clawed away at their faces and bodies in vain. They both eventually crumpled to the ground, becoming still and silent. Out of oil to fuel it, the fire died as well. Her stomached churned, twisting into angry knots as she stood. She waited silently for a few minutes, occasionally glancing out into the cavern. Their screams had been loud, but it appeared that their pained cries had sunk into the walls instead of echoing throughout the tunnels to alert any other bandits that might be there. Satisfied that nobody was coming, she pressed on. As she crossed the swaying bridge, she stared straight ahead, refusing to look at the twisted, burnt bodies that she knew were below. Instead, she counted each plank that she stepped on.

She took off down the small tunneled hallway that she stepped off into, cautiously creeping down it. Rounding a corner, she found herself in a room with shelves of food lining the earthen walls. Mercifully, the tables tucked away in between the shelves were free of more bandits.

"Dead end," she sighed to herself as she inspected the small room that overlooked the cavern. There was what appeared to be a small drawbridge that led off to another tunnel, but it was pulled up, affording her no way of getting across at the moment. Hopping up on top of one of the empty tables, she pulled her feet under her, crossing her legs, before setting aside her bow. She snatched a nearby apple and settled down, mind furiously trying to figure out how to lower the drawbridge. After wiping the apple on her sleeve she took a bite, but when her eyes reached what appeared to be the rusted handle of a lever poking out from beneath a tarp, she tossed her snack aside.

Jumping down, she quickly made her way over towards the lever, flinging its cover to the side. "I hope this works," she groaned, muscles straining as she pulled on the handle. Her efforts were rewarded and the bridge fell, creaking and groaning, sending off a cloud of dust as it settled with a thud. Indis grinned, wiping her hands on her trousers to rid them of the crusty flakes of iron that had become stuck to her skin. Her hands froze in place and her smile faded as she watched a bandit jog through the entrance.

"Hello?" the woman yelled, flames blooming from her outstretched palms. "Is anyone here?"

As Indis watched the woman make her way across the bridge, the bow she had carelessly tossed aside a few feet behind her crossed her mind briefly. _Not enough time, _she decided, grabbing the handle of the lever once more. Her eyes followed the bandit mage and when she reached the very end of the bridge, Indis pulled the lever, jerking it back as quickly as she could manage.

The woman was thrown as the drawbridge snapped back towards the wall with incredible speed and force. Indis gasped as the woman's ragdoll form made contact with the rocky, jagged wall over the tunnel entrance. The woman's head snapped back, a sharp crack resonating through the damp air as her skull hit the rock. The bandit woman slid down over the raised bridge and landed in the pool of water below with a gentle splash. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pulled the lever once more, lowering the bridge for what she hoped would be the final time.

Indis backed away, sucking in air through clenched teeth. She snatched her bow up off of the table and took off towards the tunnel that had been revealed. She slowed to a walk as she crossed the bridge. When she felt something drip onto her face as she entered the tunnel, she reached up and wiped away at the wetness on her cheek and squinted at the smear on her hand. It was blood.

Her stomach threatened to heave and she took a deep breath, using one shaky hand to brace herself against the cool wall of the tunnel. _Calm down, Indis, just calm down_, she mentally repeated to herself, shutting her eyes. Gradually, her stomach stopped flipping, the bile retreating from the back of her throat. Her eyes flew open, readjusting to the dark of the passageway. _You have to find out what happened to Ralof._

She pushed on, hunched over as she crept down the dank passageway, flattening herself against the wall when she heard a low voice mumbling to itself. Scooting a little closer, she peeked around the corner, catching sight of bandit slouching in a chair, bulky arms draped across the greatsword that was flung across his lap. He was tucked away in a corner in front of an iron door, preventing her from getting a clear shot in her current hiding spot.

As she bit her lip and mulled over her possibilities, one of her hands left her bow to wander to her pocket, turning the small stone she had picked up earlier over and over. Suddenly, her hand froze, clenching tight around the pebble. _Oh, I hope this works_, she silently prayed as she pulled it out. Retrieving an arrow from her quiver, she held it in position as best she could with one hand. Taking aim at the rusted iron of the cell the bandit was positioned across from, she threw the small rock.

It hit the iron with a clatter, the faint rattle breaking the silence succeeding in getting the bandit's attention. "Huh?"

The man stood and made his way towards the source of the noise, his massive sword firmly grasped in his hands. While he was busy peering into the empty cell, Indis raised her bow, pointing her arrow towards his back. As soon as she fired he knelt down, distracted by a small patch of mushrooms that was growing in front of the cell. Her arrow glanced off of the wall behind him and he stood, whipping around to face her. The surprised look on his face was quickly replaced with one of fury. "Well, what do we have here?" he snarled, a maniacal grin creeping onto his face as he raised his blade. "Looks like you're lost, friend."

Indis stood and scrambled backwards, nearly tripping over the uneven, rocky surface. She fumbled for another arrow and nocked it as quickly as she could, firing before she had the bowstring pulled completely. Her second arrow missed by a mile, whizzing past his head, doing nothing to distract or slow him down. She was reaching for a third arrow when he raised his sword over his head, giving her a clear sign that he was ready to swing it.

She ducked and felt the hefty sword slice through the air over her head with a faint _whoosh_. Instead of making contact with her head, it hit the stony wall behind her, sending off a small shower of sparks.

Still backing away, Indis' foot caught on a small, rocky outcrop jutting out of the wall and she tumbled backwards, bow flying out of her hands. The bandit laughed, the booming sound filling the small tunnel.

"You've got a little bit of fight in ya, huh?" he chuckled darkly, surprising her when he slid his sword into the sheath on his back. "I like that in a woman. You and I are going to have some fun before I kill you and take all of your stuff, sweet thing."

He hovered over her and when she attempted to scoot away, he laughed again. She glanced up, spotting a massive weakness that he had left wide open. While he was distracted, occupied with unbuckling his belt, she drew her foot back and thrust it forward. Her small foot smashed into his groin with a surprising amount of force and he swore loudly, collapsing to his knees.

"You stupid bitch," he gasped, one hand hovering protectively over the injured area between his legs, the other grappling for the sword. "You're going to die and I'm going to slice your eyelids open so you can see the end!"

As she stood, Indis grabbed at the ground, trying to get as much dirt as she could in her hand. She flung it into the man's eyes and he yowled, growing even angrier as he rubbed at his face. Her eyes narrowed in on her bow and she darted towards it, quickly snatching it up, wasting no time in readying an arrow. The bandit was only a few feet away from her and as he stumbled to his feet, still blinking away the dirt that stung at his eyes, she fired.

Luckily, her arrow finally hit him. He glanced down at it in surprise, backing away. Indis grabbed at another, placing it in the nock of her bow. The hand that had been clutching at the hilt of his sword fell to wrap itself around the shaft of the arrow that was embedded in his chest. She fired again and another arrow joined the first. The bandit yanked one of the shafts hard, tearing the arrow out of his chest. With a pained wail, he collapsed again; bloody spittle accompanying his shrieks and moans. Taking careful aim, her eyes narrowed in on the vulnerable flesh of his throat, firing one final arrow. It hit and he went down with a choke and a gurgle.

Once she was satisfied that he was dead, Indis placed her bow on her back with a shaky sigh, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She pressed on, plodding past the dead bandit, stopping in front of the cell door that he had been guarding. Peering inside, her eyes widened when they reached the figure in the corner. "Ralof!"

The blond's head jerked up and after a few moments of shocked silence, he smiled. "Indis! What are you doing here?"

She leaned forward, pressing her face against the bars. "I-I came to look for you. All of the bandits are dead."

His eyes widened in surprise. "How? What happened?"

"I happened. I killed them all."

Her words took a few seconds to register and he raised one eyebrow, his expression dubious. "Did you… did you really? How? You must have gotten incredibly lucky or caught them off guard." He waved one hand, dismissing the thought of her slaughtering bandits. "Never mind. We need to hurry up and get out of here. I think that bandit who was guarding my cell had the keys."

She nodded before backtracking to the bandit's body. Crouching down, she rifled around through the dead man's pockets, trying to avoid looking at him. Finally, her fingers made contact with the metal of a large key ring. Making her way back over to Ralof, she held out the key ring in her hand and shook it, the slender metal keys clinking and jingling together. "I've got it."

Ralof smiled gratefully. "Good." He waited patiently as she tested each key out in turn. When one slid in perfectly and the faint click resonated through the air, he grinned and stepped through the door that she flung open. "Thanks Indis." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Why don't you wait here? You've already done enough. I can take care of the last two that are up ahead."

* * *

After they had dispatched the tiny camp of bandits and taken what they found useful, Indis and Ralof had wandered back to the main road, eventually halting at the river's edge, settling down on the silt of the shore to take a break.

"Those bandits weren't too bad." Indis smiled, giving Ralof a nod. She was still reeling, still unable to believe that she had dispatched of several all by herself. She reached over to her knapsack, digging around, finally emerging with a bottle of mead. Popping the cork off, she took a swig before passing it off to Ralof. "Easier than I thought they'd be, at least."

He accepted the bottle with a nod and wasted no time in gulping down a hearty amount of the liquid, stopping to wipe away the faint amber that trickled down his chin before he handed it back to her. "You did well in there." He paused to gently cough. "You likely caught them off guard. It probably would have been a bit more difficult for you if they had known you were there."

"Oh." Indis frowned, but brushed his words aside. She fell silent, fiddling with the quiver of arrows that rested on her back.

"Still, you managed to get it done," he said, offering her a small smile. Ralof leaned back on his elbows, stretching his legs out. "Gerdur is making a trip to Whiterun tomorrow. You should go with her to collect the bounty from the Jarl."

"I can do that."

"Good."

Silence lapsed between them and Indis tossed the emptied bottle into the river, watching as it was swept away by the swift, gurgling waters. She was fumbling around in her knapsack for another bottle of mead when Ralof spoke.

"I'm going to back to Windhelm in a few days."

Indis blinked. "Wait, what? Why?"

He laughed, shaking his head, groaning as he shifted. "There's still a war going on, remember?" he teased. "I should have gone back to the Stormcloaks right after Helgen, but I didn't. It's not too late, though."

"Oh."

A few seconds of silence lingered before he cleared his throat and spoke again.

"I need to ask you something. It's important."

Ralof's usual playful, jesting tone was replaced by one that was utterly serious and Indis tore her gaze away from the fire to meet his eyes. The mirthful twinkle that was usually present in his bright, blue eyes was gone, replaced by something darker, something completely unreadable to her. "Sure. What is it?" She was surprised when her voice came out as a hoarse croak.

"Indis, I know it hasn't been that long. You've been such a good friend and you mean so much to me," he began, pausing to reach for her hand, gently entwining his fingers through hers. "But life in Skyrim is harsh, and Talos only knows how much longer we all have left. I'm getting older and I've reached that point in my life where I've been starting to think about settling down." He stopped, leaning closer so he could gauge her reaction. "I hadn't started to seriously think about it until I met you, though."

She could feel her face burning and she continued to stare down at the grimy hem of her trousers, idly picking at it with her free hand. Ralof still held her other hand tight, the calloused pad of his thumb tracing lazy circles on her palm. He cleared his throat. Her fingers plucked at the fraying, dirty cloth even harder. Once the long, painful silence that stretched between them became unbearable, he squeezed her hand gently. "Indis?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to marry you," he finally said, shifting so that he was uncomfortably close. She instinctively tensed up, fighting the urge to slide away. He let her hand fall so he could raise his own to cup her face and turn it towards him. "What do you say?"

She swallowed hard, wishing the lump that lingered in her throat would vanish. She exhaled, letting out the breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "I-I don't know," she answered, flashing him a shaky smile. "This is a lot to think about."

"It is." He smiled, brushing away a wisp of hair that had slipped out of her long braid. "I've got that land and I'm going to build a house there. I know I said that I'm leaving in a few days to go back to Windhelm, and I want you to come with me. We can make a stop at the Temple of Mara in Riften and Windhelm can be our home until the war is over. It should be over soon," he assured her. "What do you say?"

Her stomach flip-flopped violently and she wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself tight, feeling unexpectedly queasy. "This is really a lot to consider."

"I know, I know. But don't you want someone to take care of you? Don't you care about _me_?" he pressed, somehow managing to move even closer.

_Maybe… maybe it wouldn't be so awful_, she internally mused, finally tearing her eyes away from the cloth that she had been staring at. _Ralof is… he's kind._ "Sure. It'd be fine. Yes. My answer is yes."

Relief and happiness flooded his face and he smiled, letting out a pleased sigh as he studied her. "Good, good. Divines, you are a lovely sight." He leaned down, tilting her chin upwards with a pair of fingers, pressing a gentle, yet urgent kiss against her mouth. His lips moved slowly against hers, their pace quickening until their movements had become frantic.

He tore his lips away from her mouth to press warm, damp kisses to her throat, one of his hands wandering to the curve of her back, the other working on unknotting the ratty little strip of leather that held her braid together so he could tangle his fingers in her hair. His kisses were sloppy, harsh, and she found herself more than a little relieved when he suddenly pulled away.

He briefly fumbled around in his pocket before revealing a crumpled handkerchief in his hand. Once he had unfolded it, he held his hand out to her and Indis saw a plain silver ring resting in the center. He looked down at the ring and laughed, rubbing at the nape of his neck. "I almost forgot about this. Here. This is for you." She wordlessly held her hand out and he pushed the ring onto her index finger, beaming when it glided on effortlessly. "Ah, a perfect fit." He climbed to his feet, pulling her up along after him. "Come on, it's getting late. We should get back to Riverwood and share the good news with everyone."

* * *

Indis rolled the small green apple back and forth between the palms of her hands as she trudged up the stone flight of steps that led to Dragonsreach. Her hand missed with the next toss and the apple flew to the side, landing in the crystalline waters of the moat with a soft splash. She peered down at it and sighed.

"What'd you do that for?"

She whipped around to see a Whiterun guard standing behind her, curious eyes peeking out from behind a clunky helm. "I, uh, I didn't mean to. Sorry. It was an accident. I can go get it if you'd like," she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it, citizen. Now, carry on. No lollygaggin' and no more throwin' apples into the moat."

Nodding, she bounded off, quickly making her way up the flight of steps. A pair of guards pulled the grand set of doors open for her and she stepped inside, eyes searching for the balding man that was the Jarl's steward.

She walked forward slowly, past the popping, crackling fire, surprised to see Jarl Balgruuf slouched down in his throne, a bored expression on his face. He perked up at the sound of her approaching footsteps, his brows knitting together as he stared her down. All of a sudden he stood, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

"Ah, I remember you!" he called out as she drew closer. "You're the girl who came to tell me about Helgen. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to collect a bounty, that's all. Oh," she elaborated when he arched one brow. "The bandits that were holed up in Embershard Mine are all dead now."

The Jarl mumbled to himself for a few seconds, staring off into the distance. After a few seconds, he frowned. "Embershard? That isn't in my Hold."

Her jaw clenched and twitched in frustration, her smile quickly contorting into a grimace. _Ralof is going to be getting an earful when I get back_, she silently fumed, an embarrassed flush creeping onto her cheeks as she recalled the blonde Nord's instructions. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry," she muttered, turning on her heel to leave.

A large palm on her shoulder stopped her. "Ah, well…" the Jarl trailed off, continuing once he had cleared his throat. "Those bandits had been giving citizens of Falkreath and Whiterun plenty of trouble. The Jarl of Falkreath hasn't done anything about them for months."

He clapped his hands together, giving her a satisfied nod, turning towards his Dunmer housecarl who was keeping a vigilant watch from a short distance away. "Irileth," he barked, beckoning for her to join them. "This young woman, ahh…" The Jarl trailed off, looking sheepish. "What was your name again?"

"Indis."

"Indis needs payment. She took care of some bandits."

The housecarl made a tiny bow. "Of course, my Jarl."

Indis and the Jarl watched Irileth trot away to retrieve the reward and once the Dunmer was out of sight, the Jarl turned back towards her, surveying her curiously. "Those bandits have been giving people trouble for months now. I didn't think they would ever be taken care of. You have my gratitude." He paused, his mouth curving upwards into a smile as he inspected her. "You know," he began slowly, blue eyes narrowing in on her. "I could use a guard like you."

She let out a nervous laugh, shaking her head. "I… I don't think I quite have what it takes to be a guard, my Jarl."

He snorted in derision, brushing aside her words with a wave of his hand. "Do you think all that's required of a guard is brute strength? I'll bet that someone as small as you is nice and fast." His eyes wandered to the bow on her back. "Ah, and you're an archer, too. I could use more people like you in the guard." He opened his mouth to speak again, but turned away when the sound of Irileth's heavy, clomping footsteps broke the brief silence that had fallen. The Jarl held out his hand, accepting the large coin purse held out to him. "Here. Your payment," he said, pressing the purse into Indis' hands before resting a palm on her shoulder. "Consider my offer. Come back if you change your mind. Good day, Indis."

* * *

After leaving Dragonsreach, Indis meandered back down to Whiterun's marketplace to find Gerdur resting on a bench with a basket of good next to her. "Ah, good, you're back," the blonde said as Indis came to a stop in front of her. She stood, hoisting up the basket so she could rest it on her hip. "Did you get your bounty?"

"I did," Indis replied, shaking the fat coin purse at Ralof's sister. "Though, it turns out that Embershard Mine isn't actually in Whiterun Hold," she groaned, feeling a faint flash of anger.

Gerdur snorted, shaking her head. "So, that's where you two were at? I could have told you that. It's in Falkreath Hold. Ralof's been away from Riverwood for far too long. Still," Gerdur paused, glancing down at the leather purse Indis clutched tightly in her hands. "It was incredibly kind of the Jarl to pay you for clearing out the mine. You know what?"

"What?"

"Why don't you keep that coin? I know you don't get much at all from the inn, so you could probably use it."

Indis blinked. "What about Ralof?"

Gerdur gave a dismissive wave with her free hand. "Just tell him it's in the wrong Hold. It's the truth," she added with a wink. "He'll get plenty of pay as a soldier. Now, get a move on," the blonde ordered, jerking her chin towards the tall, sweeping gates that led out of the city. "I told the carriage driver we wouldn't be long at all. He's out there waiting for us."

Indis broke into a light jog, struggling to keep up with the tall Nord woman's long strides. For a few minutes, the soft sound of her huffing and puffing was the only noise that passed between them until Gerdur cleared her throat and spoke. "So, you and my brother…" she trailed off to glance down at Indis.

"Right, uh, yes. Ralof is good. He's a good man," Indis replied, trying her best to inject life and excitement into her voice. When Gerdur looked down at her with a concerned expression, her brows knit together, it became apparent she failed. "This will be good."

They slipped into another silence as they passed through the city gates, an uncomfortable quiet hanging between them. "You know, the leaves are looking lovely," Indis began, words ringing with a false cheerfulness as she gestured to the rich, earthy hues of fall all around them. "It is—"

"You don't have to jump into the boat of the first fisherman that comes along," Gerdur cut in, stopping to adjust the basket resting on her hip. "It might seem like a good idea at the time; especially when you're lost and you don't know anyone else. There will be others to come along, though. There always are."

Indis scowled. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Gerdur whipped around, fixing Indis with a stern stare, her icy eyes sending a message loud and clear: _you know exactly what it means._ Mercifully, they had arrived at the Whiterun Stables and Gerdur tore herself away to go chat with the carriage driver. Indis crawled into the back of the carriage, sprawling out on one of the hard benches that lined the side. It was going to be a long journey back to Riverwood.

* * *

"You've truly outdone yourself, sister," Ralof sighed happily, pausing to guzzle down more mead. He wiped his mouth with the back of one hand, grinning as he pushed away his empty plate. Leaning over, he planted a kiss on Indis' cheek before pulling away and slouching down low in his chair. "This was a fine meal. It's a shame that it'll be the last one I have here for a while."

Gerdur sighed wistfully, shaking her head sadly. "It truly is! Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow, Ralof?"

He nodded solemnly. "I do. I've already written to General Stone-Fist to tell him I'll be back. I can't really linger too much longer." He stopped and turned to face Indis, a dreamy smile creeping onto his face. "Fortunately, he understands that I have to make a brief stop in Riften first."

Gerdur's brows snapped together and the ghost of a frown flitted across her face. "Ralof, this is all so soon."

"It really is," Indis piped up. Her voice came out as a small squeak and she mentally berated herself for not sounding stronger, more assertive. "Maybe… maybe we should wait."

Ralof jerked back, looking at her as though she had proposed something absolutely preposterous. "What? Why?"

Gerdur picked up a nearby knife, beginning to slice into the apple pie that Indis had helped her bake earlier that morning. "Perhaps Indis has a point, brother," she began slowly, eyes flicking up towards Indis. "You two haven't known each other that long. It's only been six months since Helgen. I know that courtship in Skyrim is usually brief, but maybe it's not that way in Cyrodiil. Besides, you two don't have a bit of coin between the two of you."

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "True enough. I was hoping to get some coin from killing those bandits. The wrong damn Hold!" he bemoaned loudly, slamming his fist down on the table, causing the two women to jump along with the silverware.

"I could stay here and work," Indis offered helpfully, looking up from the pie she had been poking at, barely eating. "Make some more money."

Gerdur nodded enthusiastically. "I think that's a wise idea, Indis. You could even head to Solitude, or Whiterun, or Riften. There's bound to be more opportunity there."

Ralof shook his head, reaching over to take her hand. "This is best. We're leaving tomorrow and once we arrive in Windhelm, I'm not sure when we'll see each other again once I rejoin the fight."

"Another reason to hold off," Gerdur retorted with far more harshness than Indis had ever heard come from the Nord woman. "Brother, you're going off to war. The last thing you'd want to do is leave behind a young widow. It'd be even worse if she were with child."

Her appetite suddenly vanishing, Indis pushed the small plate of half-eaten pie away. Gerdur and Ralof were still talking, voices hushed, utterly serious. She idly picked at one of the golden flakes of pie crust that had fallen to the table, trying to ignore the whispers as loud as thunder coming from the other side of the room. Shrinking down further and further into her seat, she stared at the small slip of shadows in the corner, wishing they would swallow her whole.

Indis stood abruptly, reaching for the knapsack she had brought with her. "You know what? It's getting late," she mumbled, throwing it over one shoulder as she pushed past Ralof towards the exit. "I should probably get back to the inn."

* * *

The hour was late, and the inn was quiet and empty, save for Orgnar methodically wiping tankards clean at the bar. Indis tried to gently shut the door behind her, but a gust of wind sweeping through slammed it shut. Sighing, she plodded towards the small wooden door that led down to the basement.

"Have fun in Whiterun today?"

Indis let out another loud, long sigh, stopping in front of the bar. "It was fine, I guess," she mumbled, sullenly staring down at the bar. She slid onto one of the worn barstools, propping her chin up on her hands.

"Alright, what's wrong," he asked gruffly, setting the tankard and rag down, bracing his arms on the counter. "Usually when you come in, you won't stop your yammering about all the cute little foxes you saw, or a new place you found to get imp stool, or something. You upset that you and your man are leaving tomorrow?"

"What?" she snapped, her head jerking up, cheeks red with embarrassment. "I-I guess so. Riverwood's nice enough."

Orgnar tossed down the tattered rag he had been cleaning with. "All right, somethin' is botherin' ya. What is it?"

"I don't know what to do," she moaned, placing her head on the bar, smashing her face into the hard wood, muffling her voice. Her face suddenly felt hot and warm and she could tell that there was an embarrassed flush creeping onto her cheeks. "I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I don't know if I really love him," she added, wishing she could slide off the chair and simply vanish. She jerked her head up and met Orgnar's gaze. "Not like that, at least."

"If ya like 'im, then do it. If ya don't, then don't. It ain't that hard," he mumbled, obviously uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.

_How very Orgnar, and how very, very unhelpful._

* * *

The burn hadn't left her cheeks as she descended the steps into the basement of the inn and found her way over to the sagging cot that she called her own. She undressed quickly, pulling off her mud-caked boots and dusty clothes, replacing them quickly with a clean cotton nightshirt. Indis climbed into her bed, leaning over and blowing out the stubby, dripping candle on her end table before pulling the warm furs around her.

Indis was exhausted, but her mind kept mulling over the events of the past few hours, trying to process exactly what had happened. She cared about Ralof, he was her closest friend, but the thought of committing herself in marriage to him left her feeling odd. Her stomach twisted, wringing itself into nervous, anxious sighed and rolled over, pulling the furs over her head to form a protective cocoon. "I don't know what to do," she said out loud, her voice a desperate whine. _I wish someone would tell me what to do_.

* * *

The sound of a rooster call jerked Indis out of the short, restless slumber that she had managed to fall into after hours of searching for guidance and praying to every Divine known in hopes that she would reach some sort of resolution. Indis had managed to do so, but it had taken far longer than she hoped.

She took her time readying herself, slowly clambering out of bed and stretching, still not fully awake. She pulled on a clean tunic and breeches and used a strip of leather to tie her long hair up in a messy bun, making a note to cut it sometime soon. She glanced at her boots, now stiff with the dried, caked mud. She would have to go barefoot, at least until she could clean them off. Her hand hovered over the knapsack that she had packed, bursting at the seams with her belongings, but she brushed past it, continuing on her way out of the inn.

Pushing the door of the inn open, Indis stepped out into the soft early light of dawn, bare feet making a gentle patter against the cool stone of the road as she made her way to the mill. Hod and Gerdur, well, mainly Gerdur, always got an early start sawing logs, and Ralof was bound to be there as well to say his goodbyes. Indis spotted blonde hair and the blue and brown cuirass of the Stormcloaks that had been scrubbed clean. As she made her way over, she waved at Ralof to get his attention.

As she approached, he took in her bare feet, her sloppy, wrinkled clothes and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Indis, what are you doing? You need to be ready to go."

"Right, about that," she began nervously, offering him a small smile as she took his hand. "We should talk." Ralof frowned, remaining quiet, and Indis took the opportunity to continue. "I think Gerdur is right. I think we should wait." He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed on, cutting him off. "I can go somewhere, find work and we can both save up money. It'll be better this way."

He sighed, raking a hand through his golden locks, his shoulders slouching forward in defeat. "Fine, fine," he groaned, offering her a sad smile. "Will you stay here in Riverwood?"

"Probably not. There's not much work to be found here and Divines know I've hardly made anything at the inn."

"Where will you go? Whatever you decide, you'll tell me?"

"Of course." She stopped, taking a deep breath. "I think I'd like to go to Riften."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Ah, yay! Indis is finally getting out of Riverwood and moving out to Riften. Although, she couldn't escape the Ralof Love Train before she left. Ahhhh! And even sooner than the last time around. A huge thank you to SkyrimJunkie for beta-ing this chapter for me!_


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"Hey! You awake back there? We're almost to Riften."

Indis opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she turned towards the carriage driver who had spoken to her. She sat up, ignoring her stiff, protesting muscles, sucking in air through gritted teeth when a sharp jolt of pain flashed through her neck. Reaching up with one hand, she rubbed at the tense muscles in her neck. "Good. I'll be happy to finally sleep in a warm bed," she called back, voice hoarse from disuse.

The driver, a chatty, amiable fellow named Bjorlam snapped the reins, urging the horse to speed up. "Sorry the weather wasn't better, but steady rains are usually expected in the south this time of year."

"It's fine." Indis shifted, looking up to watch the vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red that they rumbled past, squinting at the tall, sweeping walls in the distance. "Bjorlam, what can you tell me about Riften?"

"Riften's a beautiful city, especially right now," he sighed wistfully, glancing up at the turning leaves overhead. "There's usually a fair bit of work to be found with the fishery. I'd be careful in there, though."

"Why?"

"There are lots of unsavory folk around the city. Riften is home to the Thieves Guild. They haven't been a force to be reckoned with in years, but I'd still watch out for them if I were you. They may not be as mighty as they once were, but if you don't watch out, they'll still snatch your coin purse. If you need a place to stay, go find the Bee and Barb. Ah, it looks like we're here." Bjorlam jerked on the reins and the carriage grinded to a halt.

Once the carriage had come to a full stop, Indis snatched up the knapsack she had brought along and jumped down from the back. Her legs wobbled and her knees nearly buckled as she walked towards the gates. She had been lounging in the back of the carriage for five days and the jostling carriage that bounced along the cobbled road had left her with stiff, aching muscles. "Thanks, Bjorlam." She nodded and waved goodbye before jogging up to the tall gates that led into the city.

"Halt!" One of the guards threw his arm out in front of her, blocking her path. "I haven't seen you around here before. Before you enter Riften, you need to pay the visitor's tax."

Indis stopped, her brow creasing in confusion. _Visitor's tax? What in Oblivion is he talking about?_ She wracked her brain, trying to recall if Bjorlam had mentioned it during their journey. He had rambled about the city at times, but her mind frequently wandered, only picking up snippets. "What is the tax for?"

The guard folded his arms across his chest and peeking out from just below his helm was a smirk. "Oh, this is a tax for the privilege of entering our great city," he drawled, drawing a snicker from another nearby guard.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "This is obviously a shakedown. I'm certain the carriage driver that brought me here would have mentioned a tax if there was one," she replied. She had hoped that her words would sound strong and assertive, but her voice came out considerably shriller than she hoped. Despite that, it seemed to work.

"Shh, shh," the guard hissed, raising a finger. "Keep your voice down. Do you want the whole blasted city to hear you? I'll unlock the gate for you and you can go inside whenever you're ready." Mumbling to himself he turned away and after a few seconds of quiet, frustrated cursing, he and his partner yanked the gate open. "There. Now get out of my sight."

Indis ducked her head as she slipped inside, adjusting her knapsack. She surveyed her surroundings, catching sight of a wooden sign swinging back and forth in the strong evening breeze. "Oh, there it is," she sighed to herself, trotting off towards the inn.

She pulled the door open, sighing happily when she was met with the warmth of a roaring fire, the succulent aroma of a hearty stew, and the busy chatter of a full room. She headed towards the bar tucked against the opposite wall, shoving her way through the small crowd, holding up her hand to get the Argonian woman's attention.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" the innkeeper rasped, her voice a slow, guttural hiss. She tossed down the rag that she had been wiping the counter with. "My name is Keerava, by the way. I'll be happy to help you with whatever you need."

"I need a room and a meal," Indis said, reaching for the coin purse at her side, sighing with relief when it was still there. She poured out a small amount of coins onto the counter, raising an eyebrow when she caught sight of the calendar hanging on the wall behind the bar. "I-Is that date correct?"

Keerava threw a glance over her shoulder before turning back to Indis. "It is. Today is the thirtieth of Heartfire. Now, let's see about getting you that room and a meal. Here," she continued, sliding a large, scuffed key across the counter. "Go up those stairs next to the door you came in through and yours will be the first room on the right. I'll bring up some stew in a bit."

Indis tucked her coin purse back into her pocket, swallowing hard and blinking furiously as she crossed the room. She was just about to round the corner and head up the stairs when a large hand caught her arm. She whirled around in surprise, coming face to face with the tall, redheaded Nord that had a vice-like grip on her arm. He was handsome, with hair the color of late autumn leaves and bright green eyes that burned with something dark and warm.

"Well, what do we have here?" the man purred, in a low, accented voice that oozed of nightshade and honey. "I'll bet you didn't work an honest day in your life for all that coin you're carrying there, did you lass? You look like you've got exactly what I want."

Her mind clicked furiously and after a few seconds, her brows snapped together in shock. "Are… do you think that I'm a prostitute?" she breathed, absolutely aghast. "Are you trying to solicit me?"

A mischievous smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "You're certainly pretty enough to be one."

"I'm not one, so just back off and go away."

The man's suave and smooth act vanished as he let her arm drop and raised his hands defensively. "I jus-"

_As if this day could get any worse._ "I'm not one," she repeated, her eyes beginning to well up with tears. "So you can just leave me alone now." Her voice cracked, words ending with a tiny sob.

The redheaded man frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "Listen, I didn't think you were one. I'm sorry." He paused, clearly caught off guard by the tears that had begun to stream down her face. "Easy there, lass. I didn't mean to upset you. My name is Brynjolf," the man continued, stepping in front of her to block her path. "I don't believe I caught your name."

"My name is Indis."

"I wouldn't want to keep you from whatever it is that you've got planned, but before you go, I would like to propose something. Something entirely non-sexual," he added with a playful wink. "It'd involve pretty baubles, plenty of gold, and it'd be _very_ easy."

"W-what is it?" Indis sniffled, wiping at her running nose. She had been ready to shove past him and storm upstairs but the sly mention of gold ensured her rapt attention.

"Oh, it's not much, nothing big at all." He paused to reach down and take her hand, raising it so he could inspect her long, slim fingers. "I think you'll do nicely. I bet you'd be good with picks… Ah, but the job. All I need is for someone to take care of something for me while I cause the tiniest distraction tomorrow in the marketplace."

She arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of diversion? What exactly would I be doing?"

"Don't worry about my diversion. What you'd be doing is getting into the strongbox that's under Madesi's stand without being seen, taking the silver ring that he keeps in there, and then slipping it into Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing. Is that something you think you can handle?"

It took her a few seconds to work out exactly what Brynjolf was saying. Once the pieces clicked together, Indis stepped back with a gasp. "You want me to steal? You want me to break the law? Are you absolutely mad?"

Brynjolf let her hand fall and he shrugged. "Well. It seems that I was wrong. If you come to your senses and decide that you'd like to make lots of gold, come find me in the marketplace tomorrow. I'll be there from dawn until dusk."

"Whatever." Indis shoved past him, stomping up the stairs. She unlocked the door to her bedroom, quickly slamming it shut behind her. After she tossed her knapsack down on the floor and kicked off her dusty shoes, she flopped down on the bed.

It was the thirtieth of Heartfire, her nineteenth birthday and she felt incredibly, overwhelmingly, desperately alone.

* * *

Indis had set out early the next morning, stepping out of the inn just as the soft, early rays of dawn were stretching out over the city. Before she had left the inn, she had asked Keerava about places where she could possibly find work. After slurping down the rest of her watery gruel, she had taken off towards the marketplace, bright-eyed, eager, and ready.

A few hours later, she was slumped over some weathered railing, staring down at the murky green waters of the Riften canal, feeling utterly hopeless. Every single lead she had been given turned out to be a dead end. Neither the Black-Briar Meadery nor the Riften Fishery were interested in hiring workers with no skill or experience, the Bee and the Barb had no openings, and those who ran stalls in the marketplace weren't looking for new employees either. She had turned to the resident blacksmith, Balimund, asking about work as well. It had looked promising until he asked her to smith him a simple iron dagger. Indis had learned a few basics of smithing from Alvor, Riverwood's blacksmith, but she had never managed to catch the hang of the craft. After presenting a twisted clump of metal that vaguely resembled a weapon of some kind, Balimund had cocked an eyebrow and muttered that she, "ought to stick to her day job and stop embarrassing herself and bringing shame to blacksmiths everywhere."

She groaned, propping her chin up on a tiny, balled-up fist. Suddenly, a familiar accented voice pulled her out of her stupor and she turned towards the bustling marketplace, surprised to see Brynjolf standing in a stall of his own. He was holding up a bright red glittering bottle, flashing passerby a dazzling smile as he peddled the item in his hand. Their eyes met and his salesman's smile quickly turned into a smirk.

Indis frowned, his forgotten proposal reentering her mind. His little plan was most definitely, completely, absolutely illegal, no doubt about it, but he had promised her gold and at that moment, she was in desperate need of coin.

Her hand flew to the coin purse at her hip that was considerably lighter, knowing full well that she would only be able to pay for her room at the inn for a few more nights. _Just this once, you're just doing what you need to survive_, she silently told herself as she weaved through the crowd towards Brynjolf's stall. He looked surprised, but pleased, as she made her way towards him.

"I'm glad to see that you've reconsidered my offer, lass," he murmured, grinning at her. "That is why you're here, right?" After she nodded, he continued. "Excellent. I'm glad you've come to your senses. Let me know when you're ready to get this started."

"Right… uh, so, how exactly am I supposed to do all of this?"

"Come here," he whispered, beckoning for her to come closer. "Listen closely. We've only got one chance to get this right."

* * *

After listening to Brynjolf spill the more intricate details of his scheme in a hushed, frantic whisper, Indis had nonchalantly meandered over towards Madesi's stall. Her hands were jammed deep into her pockets, clasped tightly around the fistful of lockpicks he had slipped into her palm. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Brynjolf, who was calling for the attention of everyone around, waiting patiently for the nearby guard to wander off. Everyone in earshot was drawn to the charismatic Nord like a moth to a flame, flitting to him, intrigued by his smooth, charming, sales pitch. He turned his head towards her ever so slightly, giving her the tiniest nod.

_That's your signal_. She nodded back, scanning the crowd one last time before shuffling behind Madesi's stand and quickly ducking down. She wiped her sweaty, clammy hands on her trousers before pulling out a handful of lockpicks, nearly dropping them as she fumbled about. With trembled hands, she raised them to the lock, taking a deep breath. She slid them inside, gingerly twisting and turning. Pick after pick met its end, twisting and snapping when the lock failed to give. Indis took a deep breath, trying to ignore her racing heart. _Calm. Just stay calm. You've got this._

With a renewed vigor, she turned her attention back to the lock, nearly shrieking with joy when it opened with a gentle _click_. She peeked over the top of the stall's counter and once she was satisfied that the crowd was still distracted, she ducked back down. She groaned when she tried to open the lockbox that had been tucked away behind the small sliding door.

"Of course it's locked," she grumbled, setting to work again.

The second lock proved to be much easier and popped open after only a couple of bent lockpicks. She rummaged around inside, sighing with relief when she saw the plain silver ring she had been sent for. The ring was her primary target, but her hands were unable to resist the glimmering gems and pieces of jewelry that surrounded it. She stuffed the loot into her pockets, closed the lockbox, carefully slid the stall's tiny door shut, and stood.

Wandering over to the back of the crowd, she wasted no time in slipping up behind her target. Brynjolf had pointed out Brand-Shei, a handsome, severe-looking Dunmer man, before she started. Twirling the ring around her finger, she crept up behind him, her eyes locking in on his pocket. It was gaping open, practically begging for her to slip the stolen jewelry inside.

"Oh, sorry," she mumbled as she bumped into him, her hand ghosting along his hip, dropping the ring inside. Indis gave him a tiny smile as she pulled away, reaching up to rest her palm on his forearm. "I was just trying to get a better look, that's all," she cooed, innocently fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"It's, uh, it's no problem," he replied, stepping aside so she could brush past him.

Indis gave Brynjolf the tiniest nod, signaling that she was finished. She waited patiently as he wrapped up his speech, making her way back to him once the crowd had dispersed. He set down the bottle he had been holding up, showing off to the crowd, and finally turning to inspect her with a crooked grin.

"You did well out there." He nodded, his smile stretching even wider as he turned to look at the stall she had robbed. "I'll be honest, I was worried for a bit," he continued, raking his hand through his shoulder-length locks. "Things haven't been going so well recently and after you had been working on those locks for a good while, I thought this might be another job gone wrong." Brynjolf finished with a long exhale, shaking his head.

"Things have been going badly?" She frowned and bit at her lip.

He waved one hand dismissively before snaking a large, muscled arm around her waist, guiding her away from the stall. "I wouldn't worry about that, lass. The Guild's just had a run of bad luck lately," he laughed, beginning to steer her towards a tall stone structure that swept upwards. "We need to get you introduced to the rest of the Guild, get you your payment for this job, and get you your armor, but first, I'd like to see if you can get into this crawlspace in Mistveil Keep. I think you're tiny enough."

* * *

Indis found Brynjolf seated at the small desk in his room, hunched over and muttering to himself as he studied the figures on the paper in front of him. She leaned against the rotted frame of the door, watching him quietly. He would occasionally pause, tapping the feather of his quill thoughtfully on his chin as he mulled over the business at hand. After a minute of waiting to be noticed, she cleared her throat. The faint scratch of quill on parchment subsided and he looked up, surprised.

"Lass! You're up early. Don't worry, I'll be out soon. I'll meet you in the marketplace."

"Brynjolf," she began, pulling the next few words of her carefully rehearsed speech to the forefront of her mind. She stepped up next to him, placing open palms on his arm, giving him a small smile before continuing. "I've done well since I've joined, don't you think? As much as I enjoy our work together in the marketplace, I think I'm ready for bigger jobs."

He wrenched himself out of her grasp, swiveling around in his chair. "Indis," he sighed, his exasperation clear with the loud exhale he gave. "You've only been with the Guild for a month. A _month_," he repeated when she stuck out her lower lip in a pout, putting a harsh emphasis on the last word. "You do good work, but you're still young with plenty to learn. Now, if that's all, I've got a few things to wrap up here. I'll meet you out in the marketplace in a bit."

* * *

After Indis left Brynjolf behind, she trekked out of the Cistern, snatching up a piece of thick, hearty bread on her way out, tucking it inside the pouch that rested on her hip. She slipped out of the Guild's secret passageway in the cemetery, grumbling quietly to herself as she ducked and bobbed through the early morning hustle and bustle, finally making her way to her usual place. Balimund, the blacksmith, cocked an eyebrow and gave her a nod when she arrived. Once she had settled against the cool stone wall by the Scorched Hammer, she pulled the bread out of her pouch and set to work viciously tearing into it.

"Mornin', Balimund," she called out, sending out a spray of flaky crumbs with every word. She waved at him and he gave her a terse, tiny nod in return.

When she had first joined the Guild, Brynjolf had assigned her to the marketplace to scope out targets, pick a few pockets, and watch the schedules and habits of Riften's many residents to get a better handle on when they weren't in their homes. The position by the Scorched Hammer was ideal, allowing her to see only the comings and goings of the entire marketplace, but it also afforded her an excellent view of all of the major paths. Earning the position had been difficult, though.

When she had first sidled up to the stone wall by Balimund's forge, she had been chased off repeatedly by the man, his bellows that he didn't need thieving rabble around his business following her as she darted off. After a week of being shooed away, she had nearly given up on obtaining her prime surveillance position. However, after overhearing him mention to his young, strapping apprentice that he was in dire need of some kind of alchemical ingredient called fire salts, Indis had obtained a satchel overflowing with them. Fortunately for her, the court wizard was a scatterbrained woman who constantly had her back turned. Balimund had raised an eyebrow when she had tossed him the small bag, but he hadn't tried to run her off since and had even tolerated her attempts to make conversation.

"Did you know…" she continued, trailing off as she ripped off another chunk of bread with her teeth. "Did you know that Nivenor is cheating on Bolli?" she asked, turning to face him. "I read it in a letter. Bolli had her followed and apparently she's sleeping with several men."

"No, I didn't," he grumbled, dousing the white-hot steel he had been working in the grimy water near his forge. "Y'know Indis, it's one thing to take what isn't yours, but to read their private letters and journals, that's a whole 'nother thing."

She was used to his frequent jabs at her choice of profession and just like always, she brushed them away. "Who are they? Do you have any ideas?"

"You talk entirely too much, know that?" he muttered, motioning for her to back away. "I'd move over, unless you want to get showered in sparks."

Indis scooted along the wall away from the forge, eyes carefully scanning the crowd. She recognized a few unfamiliar faces, caught sight of a few coin purses hanging out in the open, and watched as a few stall owners turned their backs on their wares. A loud snap of thunder pulled her out of her stupor and she sighed. _So much for a good day's work._

"You can stand under here," a deep voice rumbled. "Just don't get in my way."

She grinned and ducked underneath the thatched overhang that protected his forge, hopping up onto his workbench, getting comfortable. "You're getting soft," she playfully chided, pulling her legs up. "Look at you, letting me work from under here instead of running me off."

"The workbench ain't for sittin'." He lazily shook his hammer at her. "Get off."

"Then why is the word 'bench' in it?" Indis' eyes remained trained on the marketplace behind him, grinning wildly when she spotted a fiery red glint in the crowd. "Well, I'm off," she declared as she jumped down, waving goodbye to the hulking Nord blacksmith. "I see Brynjolf."

She passed by Balimund, ignoring his mutterings about 'thieving scum', joining Brynjolf at his stall. "Bryn," she said with a nod, leaning against the flimsy wood of the stall with a melodramatic sigh. "I suppose it's more of the same, right? I'll round up the crowd so you can-"

"Actually, no," he replied, jerking his head towards a massive Nord man that was loitering in front of Grelka's booth. "See that fellow there? He's got a big fat coin purse hanging off of his hip," he added with a devious smirk. "Why don't you go and see if there's anything interesting in there?"

Indis nodded, straightening up. She nod and took off, never tearing her eyes away from her target as she deftly maneuvered through the thick throng. He was distracted, focused on haggling with the sour-faced woman that ran the stall. Craning her neck around the side of the well in the center of the marketplace, she could see that Brynjolf was right: a huge coin purse was dangling from the man's belt. It was wide open and when he shifted ever so slightly, a flash of gold caught in the morning sun and when she squinted, she could see the faint glimmer of what appeared to be a ruby. Indis stepped forward, blending into the crowd seamlessly. Her heart pounded violently in her ribcage as she approached, one small hand flitting out, ready to scoop up the gold and gems on the surface. Her fingers skimmed the Septims and jewels on top, wrapping around them tightly. All of a sudden, the man whipped around with a snarl, snatching her wrist.

"Thief!" he bellowed, his grip tightening. The loot slipped out of her hand and she swallowed hard, watching Septims roll away, vanishing under the feet of the crowd. "This little thief was picking my pockets!" he yelled even louder, drawing the attention of a nearby guard.

Indis tried to tug away, hoping to slink away into the crowd, but she was stopped by a pair of gloved hands. "Looks like you're coming with me, thief," the guard drawled, jerking her towards Mistveil Keep. "Maybe a few nights in a cell will teach you to keep your hands to yourself."

* * *

Indis rested her forehead against the cool bars of her cell, staring out across the Riften jail, impatiently drumming the fingers that were wrapped around the metal. The simple, austere chandelier that hung in the center cast a faint, flickering light that bounced off the stone walls, giving the dank space the tiniest bit of illumination. Luckily for her, the light didn't quite reach the back of cells and the curves of corners. She stood on her tiptoes, watching as the last guard ambled down the stairs for yet another shift change, leaving the top floor leaving the top floor of the jail free of patrol.

Once she was satisfied that he was gone, she knew she had to move quickly. Her first hour in the cell had been filled with tears, wondering what Brynjolf and the rest of the Guild would think of her, and trying to not breathe in the foul stench of skeever piss. Eventually after she had calmed down, she had propped herself up against the bars of her cell, watching her fellow prisoners and the guards that kept a vigilant watch over them. It hadn't taken her long to realize that there was a shift change every two hours and when the guard on duty wandered downstairs, they usually spent a few minutes making idle chatter with their replacement.

At one point, she had grown weary of watching various guards slouch against walls and dig in their noses or scratch at their crotches and she had wandered to the shadows in the back of her cell. The furnishings provided were simple: she had a small ragged cot to sleep on, a tattered, threadbare blanket, and a filthy bucket, caked with shit, meant to be used as a chamber pot. The bit of her cell that caught her attention was a carving, etched into the stone, just barely visible in the poor light. It took her a few seconds to recognize what it was, but once she figured it out, she had squealed with joy. It was a Shadowmark, signaling that there was an escape route nearby.

Indis had carefully inspected the wall, gasping with delight when one of the broken shackles attached pulled away, eyes widening when she realized it was a handle. She had shoved the small stone door back into place, choosing to wait for the perfect opportunity to put the escape route to use. Now, several hours later, thanks to yet another lazy, slow-moving shift change, she would finally be able to take advantage of the flaw in the wall.

She dug around in her bun, retrieving the lockpicks that had been hidden, completely overlooked by the guard who brought her in. After casting a quick, furtive glance around to ensure that her fellow prisoners were asleep, she set to work on the lock of her cell door. It wasn't a particularly difficult or complex lock, but it was awkward picking it from behind. Eventually her efforts paid off and the tumbler clicked into place and the door popped open. _Hopefully that'll throw them off for a bit._

Tucking her picks back into her hair, she stepped back towards the far wall of her cell. Indis gingerly tugged on the loop of the shackle that was dangling off the wall, grimacing when the loud grinding of stone on stone echoed throughout the small space. It had revealed an opening, a secret passageway. Refusing to dawdle, she slipped through the opening that had been created and once she was out of the cell, she threw her weight against the secret door. It slid back into place. Satisfied, she dusted the grime off her hands and turned to survey her surroundings, allowing her eyes to adjust to the shadowy light of the tunnel she found herself in.

There was only one way to go and she set off, slogging through the damp muck that coated the tunnel's floor, plodding along quietly. She rounded a corner, surprised to see light slipping through an arched gate. Creeping up to it, she realized it was right next to the chest filled with all of the prisoner's belongings. Unfortunately, there was a guard stationed right next to it. She lamented the loss of a pair of blunt iron daggers and then pressed on.

After continuing down the only path available, managing to successfully avoid tripping and stumbling over the junk that littered the floor, she arrived at the top of a flight of steps. "This must be somewhere in the sewers," she whispered to herself, wondering if she was anywhere close to the Cistern. She scanned the small room she was in, ignoring the rush of water that spilled over a wall, sighing when she saw a small skeever at the water's edge. She snuck forward, hoping to slip past the creature, but as she was about to pass by, it looked up. Baring its teeth, it lunged at her with a rasping hiss. She panicked, her foot flying forward. It met with the skeever's face and the animal was thrown back, landing in the nearby pool of water with a faint _splash_ before getting swept away.

Indis took off again, slipping through a small door, groaning when she found herself in yet another tunnel. She slogged forward, muscles beginning to ache with the effort of trudging through rushing water. Finally, she arrived at what appeared to be the drainage sluice's end.

"I hope this goes somewhere," she grunted, throwing her weight against the latticed wood that blocked her path. The wooden cover swung to the side and she tumbled through, landing in the biting, frigid waters of Lake Honrich with a loud plop.

She flailed frantically and managed to get a foothold on the murky silt below, gasping for air when her head broke above the surface. Blinking the water out of her eyes, she brushed away the wet clumps of hair that clung to her face and trudged forward towards the shore, grateful the area she had landed in was so shallow. Once she reached the bank of the lake, she was surprised to see Sapphire leaning against the city's wall, watching her.

"I was beginning to think that you wouldn't make it out," the Nord woman drawled, yawning in boredom. "I've been waiting here for ages. Here," she said, holding out Indis' knapsack and bow. "Brynjolf had me pack up all of your armor for you."

Indis accepted the bag with a nod, sighing with relief when she saw the dark umber of her Guild armor inside. She peeled off her wet clothes and tossed them aside, ignoring Sapphire's loud yawns as she changed.

"Thanks," Indis said, slinging her belongings over one shoulder. "What should I do now?"

Sapphire jerked her head towards the north. "There's a small Guild hideout that's up the road. Members use it whenever they get into a bit of trouble. Don't worry, it's not that far. It's a stone's throw away from the monstrosity that's the Black-Briar Lodge. I'd get a move on if I were you."

* * *

After nearly an hour of steady, brisk walking, Indis ambled up to a quaint cabin with light flickering in the windows and a lopsided chimney that puffed out thick white clouds of smoke. It was just off of the main road that led north out of Riften, tucked away behind a small thicket of trees. Her feet throbbed, still not quite used to the stiff leather of her boots, and she could feel the beginnings of blisters on her aching heels. She trudged up the steps, hoping it was the right place. After pounding on the door, she waited patiently. There was a pair of male voices, the gentle thud of approaching footsteps, and the curtains that covered the window of the door were pushed aside so that one bright green eye could inspect her. The curtains fell back, there was the sound of a lock sliding open, and the door was flung open.

"Indis!" Brynjolf said with a grin, greeting her with outstretched arms. "Come inside."

She wiped her muddy boots off and stepped through the door, soaking up the delicious, heady warmth cast off by the nearby roaring fire. Setting down her knapsack by the door, she was surprised to see Delvin lounging comfortably at the small table in the center of the room.

"Just so you know, I hadn't no doubt that you'd get out of there," the Breton said as she slipped into the chair next to him. He laughed, reaching over to give her a hearty clap on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of her tiny frame. "You've listened t' every bit of advice that I've given ya, so when Brynjolf told me he had this whole thing set up, I knew you'd come out smellin' like a rose."

Indis frowned and whipped around, fixing Brynjolf with an accusing glare. "Wait, what? You set that whole thing up?"

"Easy there, lass," he said softly, looking up from the potato he had been chopping. "It's something that every Guild member goes through. Getting arrested is inevitable," he continued, resuming his work with the potato. "Mercer likes to see how everyone responds to getting thrown in a jail cell. Knowing how to escape is something that's become a bit of a necessity. We used to help our own and bail out members that got arrested, but the past decade or so has been rough. Our coffers aren't exactly overflowing anymore, so we can't really pay off fines any longer."

"Hmph." Indis slouched down in her chair, continuing to glare. "So, that was my test?"

"That it was. The man I told you to pickpocket was Maul. He's Dirge's brother and we always use him in these setups, so that's why you haven't been introduced to him yet. You'll meet him when you get back." Brynjolf dumped the chunks of potato into a nearby kettle and then wiped his hands on a rag. "You did well, so Mercer will be pleased with you."

"I'm pleased with you too," Delvin added with a toothy smile. "I'd like to take care of a little job for me." Her eyes widened and he continued. "It isn't much, but I've got a brother that's the blacksmith in Raven Rock, which is a tiny lil' settlement on the coast of Solstheim. He wrote to me a while back, asking me if I could send someone to take care of a little problem he's been having. I just haven't been able to send anyone out there yet." He paused to take a swig of his mead. "That's where you come in. I need you to travel to Solstheim, talk to my brother, and see what he wants. Oh, and while you're out there, pick a few pockets and sweep a few houses. Think you can handle that?"

Indis nodded. "I think I can."

"Good." Delvin polished off the last few drops of his mead and rose. "If you do well out there and manage to not muck things up, there'll be bigger jobs in the future. I'd best be off." With a wink and a nod, he set off, slipping out of the little cabin's door.

"He's right, you know," Brynjolf said, slipping a bottle of mead in front of her. "Do this right and it'll prove to Mercer that you're ready for things a little more complicated than picking pockets in the marketplace."

She twisted the cork out of the bottle and tossed it aside. "Should I be leaving now? Are guards going to be coming after me?"

Brynjolf shook his head. "They're not going to be bothered to chase after a petty thief who tried to snatch a few coins. A carriage will be here this afternoon to pick you up and take you to Windhelm. From there, you can take a ship to Solstheim. For now, just get some rest."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_There we go! Getting a nice start in Riften, huh? Next chapter, a certain blond Stormcloak makes a return and Indis will meet some new people in Solstheim, things will be stolen, hearts will be broken, and she'll take care of some Guild business. Ooh, how exciting! A huge thank you goes out to Child of Sithis for checking over this chapter for me – if you haven't already, check out her story Doom Driven. _

_As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read and support my story, it's really appreciated!_


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

During her brief time living in Riften, Indis had always regretted not making the short journey north to Windhelm to visit Ralof. However, once she actually set foot in the frozen city, those regrets immediately vanished, swept away along with the frozen, stinging gusts. As she plodded up to the city gates, sharp, blistering gusts of wind blew thick, wet snowflakes into her face. She tugged the hood of her Guild armor down over her face, silently cursing the freezing storm and thick clouds that obscured the sun, wishing she had thought to bring a cloak to bundle herself up in.

_Too damn cold_, she silently whined to herself as she passed through the gates of the city. The streets were quiet and still, with only an odd guard milling about. She trudged up to one, carefully maneuvering around the thick piles of snow that seemed to cover everything.

"E-e-excuse me," she said, teeth clacking and chattering together from the cold. "Where could I find the inn?"

"Candlehearth Hall is righ' there," the man mumbled, jerking his thumb towards a large building dotted with flickering lanterns that swayed in the wind. "Need anything else?"

She nodded. "Actually, yes. Would you happen to know a Stormcloak named Ralof? He's from Riverwood," she asked hopefully.

The guard tilted his head upwards, gazing up at the cloudy skies thoughtfully. "Ralof… Ralof… Ah! I know who you're talkin' about. I could take you to the barracks if you'd like."

"No, no, that won't be necessary," she replied, giving him a wan smile. "If you see him, would you tell him that Indis is at the inn?"

After he had nodded and agreed to relay the message, Indis had left the guard behind to head for the inn, only slipping on the black ice that coated the streets of Windhelm once. She pulled herself to her feet, dusted off the flakes of ice and snow, muttering irate curses as she carefully stepped up the slick stairs. Yanking the inn's door open, she sighed with relief when she felt the rush of warmth hit her face. Making her way over to the barmaid, she slammed a handful of Septims down on the counter.

"One room, please."

Once her coin was counted, a large flat key was pressed into her palm and she was guided to her room. The barmaid, a helpful young woman named Susanna, returned after a few minutes with a large pitcher filled to the brim with water and a fresh, clean cloth before leaving Indis to her own devices.

Indis pulled her soggy cuirass over her head, tugged off her boots, and yanked off her trousers, tossing them into the corner of her room, hoping they would dry out by dawn. She pulled on the blue waistcoat she had brought, a belated birthday gift from Brynjolf, down over her head before hopping onto the large bed. Sprawling out with a satisfied sigh, she stretched and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of the cool, clean sheets against her body. A loud, sharp knock at the door pulled her out of her trance and she sat up, groaning with irritation.

"Come in."

The door flew open and Ralof stepped inside, shaking out the snow that had collected in his hair. "Well, if it isn't the loveliest little Imperial that I know," he began, excitement creeping into his thickly accented voice. "I couldn't believe it when Tolgan came into the barracks and said that this little Imperial woman named Indis came asking after me."

Indis shot up and leapt off the bed, happily accepting the embrace that he offered. "Ralof," she sighed, burying her face in his chest. "It's so good to see you."

He stepped back with a grin, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "It's good to see you, too. I've missed you," he said, tilting her chin upwards so their eyes could meet. "How has Riften been? Have you found work? You haven't written me at all," he added, his words tinged with hurt.

She gnawed on her lip, breath hitching in her throat when the Guild armor carelessly thrown into a corner ghosted across the forefront of her mind. "I, uh, I've been working," she replied, slowly guiding him towards a chair that faced away from the evidence of her occupation. "I've been working with a, uh, a merchant," she finished, flashing him an innocent smile. _That's not entirely dishonest. Brynjolf does sell things out in the marketplace after all, so technically, I suppose he is one._ "How have you been? How is the war going?"

Ralof groaned, burying his face in his large hands. "It hasn't really been going at all," he sighed, dragging his hands down over his face, pausing to shake his head wearily. "Winter is coming and fighting has slowed to a standstill. Not that it matters," he added bitterly, leaning back in his chair. "I've been put on patrols around the city, so it doesn't look like I'll be out in the thick of things any time soon. I suppose it's punishment for returning so long after Helgen."

"I'm sorry about that."

He cocked his head to the side, studying her curiously. "What brings you to this fine city, anyway?"

Indis snorted. "Fine city? This place is frozen and miserable," she said, shivering just from the thought of the blizzard outside. "I don't know how you can stand living here. Anyway, I'm headed out to Solstheim tomorrow."

"Solstheim? By the Nine, what are you going to be doing out there?"

Indis shrugged. "Just a bit of business, that's all. This merchant that I work with has sent me out there for business reasons."

"Business? Well, how about I come with you," he offered, reaching out to take her hand. He slipped his fingers through hers, grinning wildly. "I can take a few days of leave and it'd make me feel better to be out there with you."

* * *

A large wave broke on the hull of the _Northern Maiden_, sending an icy spray all over Indis, who had been leaning against the ship's railing, watching the choppy waves below. With a mutter and a curse, she raised both hands to wipe the freezing seawater from her face, brushing the soaking clumps of hair out of her eyes. Another rough wave crashed and broke, nearly sending her flying backwards as it slammed in the ship. Luckily, a pair of strong hands caught her.

"Whoa, easy there," Ralof laughed, helping her steady herself. "You know, you could come back down below deck."

Indis shook her head, blinking at him through soaked lashes. "I like it out here. It's cold, but it's not so…" she trailed off, fumbling for the right word. "Disgusting," she finally said, reclaiming her spot against the railing. "I feel like I can actually breathe out here. I don't have to worry about inhaling more skeever droppings or moldy… moldy whatever the blazes those things growing on my cabin wall were."

Ralof laughed again, a booming sound that was quickly swept away by a gust of wind. "Sorry I haven't been very good company the past few days."

"It's fine. Are you feeling better?" Indis glanced up at him and nodded. He still looked a little green and sickly, his skin sallow and pale, his usual cheery smile a little less bright than usual.

"I think so." He sidled over so he was next to her, pointing to a speck in the distance. "Do you see that there? I think that's Solstheim."

* * *

"So, this is Raven Rock," Indis mused, slowly taking off down the dock. Her legs had become accustomed to the rocking, swaying movement of the ship and walking on firm, stable land again had proven to be more arduous than expected. "It's very… gray."

The small settlement was painted in dull, drab colors, and even the aurora that stretched across the early morning skies overhead was faint and muted. There were few out on the streets so early and as they groggily plodded along, Indis couldn't help but notice the numerous derelict abandoned buildings that they passed by. A flicker of orange caught her eye, revealing the location of the blacksmith that she was supposed to meet with.

"Why don't you go find somewhere we could go get some food and board," she suggested, her stomach announcing its hunger with a loud, angry gurgle. She placed a hand on top of it, thinking of sweetrolls, crisp apples, and fresh bread. _That'll have to wait_. "I'm going to go ahead and take care of some business."

Ralof frowned. "You don't want me to come with you? I'll come with you," he insisted, placing his palm on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze that was a little too tight.

"No, go find the inn," she replied hurriedly, pushing him towards a nearby guard that was decked out from head to toe in a strange, clunky golden armor.

"Fine. I can take your bag for you," he offered, stretching a hand out.

"Oh, no!" She adjusted the heavy knapsack that rested on her shoulder, wishing that she could be rid of it, but she didn't want Ralof to find her Guild armor inside. She had no qualms about her occupation or the business that brought her to the dark, sleepy little island, but she had a niggling feeling that he might. "I, uh, it's fine. I can handle it. I'll find my way to the inn later."

Ralof withdrew his hand, noticeably tensing as he turned away from her with a terse nod, heading off towards one of the guards that patrolled the area. With a sigh, she set off towards the marketplace in the center of town. Weaving her way through the crowd of Dunmer, she scanned the area, carefully taking mental notes of all of the goods carelessly left on tables, backs that were turned, and pouches of gold that swung from hips. Once she was satisfied that she would be able to pilfer a few good from the marketplace, she made her way over to the blacksmith's forge.

"Are you Glover?" she asked, stepping into the warm, heady glow cast off by the crackling embers of his forge. Indis set her knapsack down on the ground by the grindstone, stiff shoulders screaming with relief. The man nodded and she continued. "I was sent by Delvin. He said that you had an issue that you needed some help with."

"Well, well," he chuckled, reaching up to pump the bellows with several deep tugs. "It's about damn time he got someone out here. It's been months. You'd think that he'd move a little faster for family. How's he doing, anyway? Still sitting on his ass in that sewer, trying to win Vex's heart?"

Indis' shoulders rose up and down in a lazy shrug. "Delvin is most definitely still doing those things," she chuckled, shaking her head as she recalled her fellow Guild member's daily exchanges with the biting, snarky blonde in the Ragged Flagon. "So, what's this job that you've got for me?"

Glover pulled the blade he had been working out of the fire, dunking it in the nearby trough of grimy, filthy water before reaching up to wipe away the beads of sweat that had cropped up on his brow. "I can finish this later. Come inside where we can talk."

She snatched up her bag and followed him into his home and after the door had clicked shut behind him, he continued. "About a year ago, I met a fellow Breton out here by the name of Esmond Tyne. After he pointed out the Shadowmark that was on my door, I thought he was one of us," he sighed, gesturing back and forth between them. "You know… a part of the Guild. Anyway, he made off with my Bonemold formula that I've been working on _years_ to perfect," he grunted, fist clenching open and closed angrily. "I didn't want to take it to the guard here. I didn't want them poking around. Captain Veleth has already been suspicious of me for a while now and the last thing I want is to be run out of Raven Rock."

"So, what exactly is it that you want from me?"

"Oh, right! I need you to find him. I don't care if he's dead, alive, or somewhere in between. I just want you to find him and bring back my formula."

"Any idea where he might be?"

"Last I heard, he ran off to the northern half of the island. I heard he was going to try and fence some goods to the Rieklings that have overrun Castle Karstaag. He's a crazy fool to even consider it. They're nasty, vicious little buggers," he warned, his brow furrowing in concern. "I'd check there first and if I were you, I wouldn't go alone. There's a damn good spellsword you can find in the Netch, goes by the name of Teldryn Sero. I'd hire him if I were you."

Indis gave him a grateful nod, thinking back to the coin purse that rested in her knapsack, of all of the gold she had spent since she had left Riften. She hoped hiring this mercenary wouldn't be too much. "Thanks for the tips, Glover. By the way, do you know of any good marks around Raven Rock?

* * *

Following Glover's instructions, Indis managed to find her way to the Retching Netch without incident. From the outside, it hadn't looked like much, but once she slipped through the worn, weathered doors, she was greeted with a roaring, crackling fire, the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the gentle noise of the cornerclub's few patrons. She breezed past the flight of steps that led down underneath a stone archway, heading towards the chitin-clad mercenary that Glover had described. He was slouched down in his chair but as she approached, he perked up and straightened his shoulders.

"Teldryn Sero, blade for hire," he drawled in a low, scratchy rasp. He sounded bored and lazy, as though he was reciting the line for the hundredth time. "The best swordsman in all of Morrowind, at your service."

"Really? That's quite a claim," Indis replied, crossing her arms. "How much would I have to pay to get the best swordsman in all of Morrowind by my side?"

"500 Septims."

"_What_," Indis choked out, her eyes widening in shock, taken aback by the steep price. "That is absolutely outrageous! Are you serious?"

He chuckled, the sounds of his amusement muffled by the ragged cloth that covered the front of his hideous chitin helm. "I am. A man's got to make a living, after all."

Grumbling to herself, she dug around the pockets of her knapsack, searching for her coin purse. She had Ralof with her, but neither of them knew how their way around the island and if those Riekling creatures were as nasty as Glover had claimed, they would need all the help they could get. She fished it out and after glancing down at it with a loud, prolonged sigh, she tossed it to him. One of his arms snapped upwards, catching it with a surprising deftness. "There's your damn gold."

He dumped it out onto the table, gloved fingers sliding it to the side as he counted and after a few minutes, he swept it all back into the coin purse. "I'm all yours," he said, rising from his chair. "Where are we off to first?"

Indis blinked. "Oh, you're coming with me right now? Well, um, I've got to make a stop here in town, but then we can set off," she grunted, adjusting her heavy bag. "Would you mind carrying this for me?"

"Oh, not at all, that's what I'm here for," he replied, taking the knapsack off her shoulders. He didn't sound particularly enthused, but Indis didn't care.

"Thanks," she said, opening the door for him. She followed him through, falling silent. After a few minutes of quietly walking along, she spoke. "I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Indis."

"Indis, hm? Pretty name for a pretty woman," he casually remarked, his voice tinged with the slightest bit of flirtatiousness. "So, Indis… tell me – what brings you to Solstheim? There's not much opportunity to be found, it's a mess out here," he said, gesturing to the crumbling buildings and grimness around them.

"Just a bit of work to help out Glover, that's all."

"Glover? Does that mean you're a part of the Guild like him?"

Indis veered off the main path that cut through the town, heading up the narrow, sloping path that led to what she had been told was a home that belonged to the Severins. When she had inquired about marks, Glover had pointed her towards their home, adding with a roguish grin that the family would be away for a few more days. "I am," she finally answered, whipping around to face him. "Will it be a problem?"

"No, _sera_. Not at all."

"Good." She crouched down behind a massive, spiny plant and he followed suit. After the guard that had meandered by was out of sight, she crept towards the door. "Will you keep watch for me?" After he had ducked his head in a nod, she pulled her set of picks out of her boots. She slid them into the door, jiggling the slender metal instruments carefully, and when the lock rotated a little more, one corner of her mouth tugged upwards in a smile. It wasn't a particularly difficult lock and after another minute of gently easing her picks into it, the tumblers clicked into place.

"Come on," she whispered, slipping through the open door. Once they were inside, her eyes flicked over the horseshoe-shaped landing above the stairs and after she was satisfied there was nothing there but food and cookware, she took off down the stairs. The glint of a beautifully crafted glass sword hanging on a weapon plaque caught her eye and with a sigh, she passed it by. _Nothing too big,_ she silently reminded herself, pushing the door to the master bedroom open. _But I do definitely need to take some things that will be noticed if they're missing._

She found her way over to a wall over closed glass display cases and peered inside. "Help me gather all of this," she instructed, pointing to the slim Elven daggers, loose gemstones, and glittering baubles that were out in the open. Much to her surprise, the cases weren't locked and she and Teldryn snatched everything up, wrapping their loot in a tunic that had been draped across a nearby chair.

They silently doubled back towards the small alchemy nook that they had passed by when they first entered and Indis snatched up a few healing potions that had been nestled among the various plants that lined the shelves. The liquid inside the deep red bottles sloshed around as she tossed them to Teldryn. "We should probably get going. I think we have enough."

* * *

After making one final sweep through the sprawling manor, Indis and Teldryn had slipped back out onto the empty, quiet streets of Raven Rock, making their way back to the Netch. She had left Teldryn at the table she had found him at, relieving him of her heavy knapsack, before wandering downstairs. She slid into a seat at the bar, waving a hand to get the bartender's attention.

"Excuse me; did a blond Nord fellow come in here earlier?"

"He did. He rented a room," the Dunmer replied, flicking the rag he had been holding to the side. "It's down the hall, the farthest one on the left."

After thanking the bartender, Indis set off down the hallway, hoping that Ralof didn't have too many questions about what she had been doing during their time apart. After softly knocking on the door, she pushed it open and peeked inside. "Ralof, I'm sorry about taking so long. Have you eaten yet?"

He was lounging on the bed and when she entered, he sat up to face her, a serious frown working itself onto his face. "What were you doing? Here, let me take your bag for you."

"No." She clutched it to her chest, backing away. "It's just got some personal, private things in here, that's all."

His face contorted, an angry scowl working its way onto his mouth. "Indis, stop trying to hide things from me. I'm going to be your husband soon, so you need to get used to sharing things with me." He stood, swiftly closing the distance between them and before she could respond, he jerked the knapsack out of her hands and dumped its contents onto the bed.

Ralof shook the bag and out poured the spoils from earlier, along with her smooth, umber Guild armor. She bit her lip, gnawing at it anxiously. "Ralof, I didn't want to say anything earlier. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to think less of me. I couldn't find any other work and the Guild was paying well…" she trailed off, wringing her hands. He continued to stare at the pile of stolen goods in a heap on the bed. "Please say something."

He whipped around, crystal-clear contempt and fury on his face. "You're a thief?" he hissed, his voice low and venomous. "This is what you've become?" His voice grew louder as he pointed accusingly at the items piled up. "You're just criminal scum now, Indis. I thought you were better than this."

"Ralof, I'm-"

He cut her off as he shoved past her towards his own bag. "Enough," he barked, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "I'm leaving."

Indis reached out, grabbing for his arm, but he jerked away. "Ralof, please, why don't we just-"

He shook his head, disgust and disappointment slowly replacing his brief flash of fury from before. "I'm leaving now, Indis. I need some time to think about this, to think about you. Goodbye," he said, slamming the door shut behind him.

She slumped down, unable to think, unable to breathe, unable to do anything but collapse on the floor and burst into tears.

* * *

Ralof hadn't come back. Which, if Indis was being perfectly honest with herself, wasn't the tiniest bit surprising. She had sobbed on the floor for what had felt like an age before her tears ran dry and her hiccups gradually faded away. As she finally stood, stretching her aching muscles, rubbing the knot that formed in her neck, she was shocked to find that she felt better and that Ralof's abrupt departure didn't weigh on her so heavily as it had an hour ago.

She shrugged off her waistcoat and tunic before pulling on her Thieves Guild armor. After she had tugged on her boots and grabbed her bow, she shoved her stolen loot wrapped up in the tunic deep underneath the bed, making sure she locked the door before she headed up stairs to find Teldryn.

He was seated in the same location, arms folded across his chest and when she took the chair across from him, he nodded. "Ah, you're back," he rasped, popping the cork out of a chubby little bottle. "Have some business to attend to?"

"I suppose," she grumbled, wishing he would pick up on the hint that she wasn't really in the mood for idle chatter. She watched him raise the bottle to his lips and take a small sip. "What's that?"

"Sujamma. Want some?" He held the bottle out and shook it at her enticingly.

"Sure." She grabbed it out of his hand and raised it to her lips, throwing her head back as she chugged the liquid down. It was tart and bitter, setting her throat and sinuses on fire. Coughing and sputtering, she slammed the bottle down on the table. "That was disgusting," she choked out before another fit of coughing consumed her.

"Well, you're not supposed to swill it down like some cheap mead," he chastised, clucking his tongue playfully. "This is Geldis' special brew. It's meant to be sipped, to be savored."

Indis glowered at him, still coughing and gasping. "Special or not, it was awful." She paused to take a deep breath, happy that the fire in her throat was fading away. "Anyway, we should probably be off soon. Do you by any chance happen to know where Castle Karstaag is?"

His head snapped up towards her and she wished that he would remove the bulky, unsightly chitin helm that obscured his face so she could get a better handle on how he was reacting to everything. "Castle Karstaag? You know it's full of Rieklings, right? What in the name of the Tribunal do you want there?"

Even though she couldn't see his face, she could feel him frowning at her from behind the monstrosity he called a helmet. "This is a job for Glover," she replied, rooting around in her bag, fishing out the map that they had picked up when they were exploring the Severin's manor. "Someone stole a formula that he created and Castle Karstaag is the only lead he has on this fellow. Do you know where it is?"

Teldryn chuckled dryly. "Thieves stealing from thieves," he laughed, shifting forward in his seat. He leaned across the table and pointed to a small, faded marking near the top of the map, tapping it twice. "That's it right there."

"Good." She yanked the map away from him and rolled it up before stuffing it back into her bag. "Let's be off."

* * *

Teldryn watched his tiny little patron dart off ahead of him, jogging up to a baby netch that was lazily floating above the shore, standing on her tiptoes so she could inspect it more closely. Since they had left Raven Rock, she had been surprisingly quiet for their journey, occasionally breaking the silence with a question about an animal or plant they passed by.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing to the creature.

"It's a netch. A baby, from the look of it," he replied, striding up to join her. "Go on, touch it. They're friendly enough things as long as long as you don't attack them."

She reached out to touch it, throwing her hood back from her face so she could get a better look at it. He watched as she ran her hands along its side, her mouth working itself into a smile, reaching up to brush aside the tendrils of dark brown hair that had fallen into her face. She was pretty enough, he supposed, with bright green eyes, the most adorable little button nose, full, flushed lips, and a dark bronze complexion dusted with what seemed to be an infinite amount of freckles. He brushed past her, and when he turned back to call out to her, to tell her that they should press on and find some place to make camp, he realized he had already forgotten her name.

"Eh, Imbish, we should keep moving." When she turned towards him with a frown and an arched eyebrow, he knew he had gotten it wrong. "We need to find somewhere to set up camp."

"My name is Indis," she huffed, rejoining him. "It's only been a few hours and you've already forgotten."

"Apologies," he replied, tugging on his gloves to readjust them. "I'll admit, I never really bother getting too attached to my patrons. Names are a part of it."

She scrunched up her face. "Well, why not?"

He gave a lazy shrug. "They always end up leaving after a few days or they end up dying."

"_Dying_," she groaned, throwing her tiny hands in the air. "You're supposed to have my back, Teldryn. Talking about your former patrons dying is not even remotely comforting."

"Apologies, _sera_," he said, stopping to throw an arm out in front of her. "Ah, would you look at that – your first taste of Rieklings." He pointed off into the distance towards a small, ramshackle encampment and her eyes followed his finger. "Get ready, Indis. We're in for a fight."

She nodded, grabbing for the bow on her back, snatching up an arrow from her quiver. He watched as she slowly crept forward, taking aim as she carefully peeked out from behind a snow-dusted boulder. Satisfied that she could handle herself, he shot off, unsheathing his sword with one hand, the crackle of magicka formed in the other. The spell swelled before bursting forth, a swirling vortex of purple and blue blossoming in the cold, crisp air. The gate to Oblivion opened briefly, allowing a slender flame atronach to glide through, before it closed once more. His conjuration wasted no time, a small trail of flames flickering behind her as she glided forward, lobbing fireballs at the horde of Rieklings that were quickly approaching. Sword raised, Teldryn dashed forward into the fray, the razor-sharp edge of the blade stabbing and slicing through their tiny enemies with a surprising ease. Arrows whizzed past him, embedding themselves deep within little gray chests, bursts of fire were launched past him, and after a few minutes, it was over. Both Indis and his atronach rejoined him and after wiping his bloodied blade on the rags that covered one of the dead Rieklings, he turned to Indis. "You're not so bad with that bow. We should take a look around and see if there's anything useful."

She nodded, slinging her bow over her back before making a beeline for large chest tucked in between two of the small huts. She knelt down, pulling her lockpicks out. He watched her toss her hair over her shoulder and set to work, obviously deep in concentration. All of a sudden, the barrels right next to the chest rocked and twitched before bursting open, sending splintered wood flying all over her before the Rieklings that had burst out of hiding pounced onto the small Imperial woman.

"Teldryn!" she shrieked, kicking and flailing, trying to push the vicious little monsters off of her body as she tried to crawl away. Her bow had gotten knocked off of her back, flying out of reach. He grasped at his sword, but his atronach beat him to the punch, sending a fireball in her direction. There was a bright burst of orange-yellow flame as it crashed into the Rieklings on her back, sending a shower of spark and flame everywhere, and Indis let out a bloodcurdling scream.

He rushed over to her, gloved hands patting out the patches on her armor that had caught fire, stomach roiling when the wind changed direction, sending the stench of burnt flesh and singed hair directly into his face. He helped her stand, groaning in exasperation.

In addition to the damage from his atronach, the Rieklings had gotten her as well. They had torn apart the flesh of her left cheek and rivers of crimson steadily coursed down her cheek. "I think we should just set up camp here," he suggested, placing his hands on her shoulders, steering her towards a campfire that the previous residents had left behind. She settled down onto the massive, blanched piece of driftwood that had served as a bench, watching him as he rifled around in her knapsack.

"Thanks," she mumbled, stopping to sniffle pathetically. "You saved me, even if you did light me on fire."

Her accusatory tone was impossible to miss. "I'm sorry, _sera_." He paused to take off his helmet so he could get a better look at her, inhaling sharply when the cool evening air hit his face.

"I suppose it wasn't exactly you, but it was still _your_ atronach." She fell silent, reaching up to touch her cheek. She flinched, pulling her hand away, inspecting the blood on it. "How bad is my face?"

He placed two fingers underneath her chin and tilted it upwards, inspecting it in the light cast off by the fire. "It doesn't look too bad. Luckily, they didn't get your eye. They came close, though." Teldryn doused the cloth he had retrieved in a healing potion before wiping her face down with it. She hissed in pain, reflexively trying to jerk away, but his hand held her in place. Gradually, the rush of blood stopped, no longer bubbling forth from the jagged wounds that raced down her cheek and lips. The warm, golden light of a restoration spell slowly spilled from his palms, engulfing her face. When the glow faded and he stepped back, all that remained were the bright pink lines of fresh scars. "There, all done," he said, the hand he had been cupping her face with falling away.

"Thanks," she repeated, reaching up to touch her face. Her hand flitted down, ghosting across the scars, prodding them gently, before moving down to inspect the singed ends of her hair and the burns that covered her armor. "I think I'm burned," she added, voice hitching in her throat.

_By Azura, please don't cry_, he internally bemoaned as her eyes welled up with tears. "You'll need to take off your armor so I can see if you were burned." She grumbled, but willingly complied, slipping the damaged cuirass over her head. With only a thin linen undershirt to cover her torso, she shivered in the chilly air. Sure enough, there were patches of vivid pink flesh beginning to bubble and blister up along her left arm and hand. "I expected worse. This isn't too bad."

"These had better heal quickly," she sighed, scowling at her fingers as she slowly flexed them. "Otherwise, I won't be able to pick locks or pockets. What would I be good for? "

"I'm sure you're good for plenty, not just thieving," he mumbled, rooting around in the bag once more, resurfacing with a vial of snowberry oil clutched in one hand. Biting down on a finger of one of his gloves, he tore it off with his teeth and tossed it aside before dumping the contents of the vial into his palm. "Snowberry oil is good for burns," he said before falling silent, concentrating on casting another healing spell.

She inspected her glistening skin in the firelight, prodding at the taut, shiny flesh, before reaching up with one hand to stifle a yawn. "That already feels better. Thanks again, Teldryn."

"Good." He stood, wiping the remaining oil off on his armor and then tossed her a small potion bottle. "Drink this. It will probably help with those burns. I suggest we get some rest so we can get up in a few hours to take Karstaag by storm."

* * *

"By the Eight, would you look at that," Indis whispered, letting out a low, appreciative whistle as she turned her gaze upwards. The Riekling huts and the rickety bridges that stretched between them seemed to go on forever. "Teldryn, are you seeing this?"

"Yes, _sera_, I do have two fully functional eyes," he drawled. "What's the plan? I don't think we stand a chance of fighting all of those little buggers."

"You're right," she sighed, flopping down on the icy, frozen floor of the tunnel they were crouched in. He said down next to her and she looked up, studying his face, secretly pleased that he had decided to tuck his bug-like helmet into his bag. He had slate gray skin, dark red eyes, the color of crushed, velvety rose petals, and a tattoo as red and rich as his eyes snaked its way around the edges of his face, the pattern dotting its way across his cheeks and chin. His head had been shaved on the sides, his hair trimmed into a neat mohawk, leaving the delicate points of his long, gray ears full exposed. Despite the deep lines that extended from the corners of his eyes and the dark stubble on his jawline that was peppered with white, he was a handsome man.

"Enjoying what you see?" he teased, smirking at her. "You'll have plenty of time to ogle me later, _sera_."

She blushed, not realizing that she had been staring that long. Sitting up, she turned away from him. "I think I saw a body out on the ice below all of their huts," she said, slowly standing up. The ice creaked and groaned around them and they had quickly discovered that every sound, every footstep echoed and crunched. "I'm going to see if I can sneak out there and check it out without being seen."

"What if you are seen?"

Indis pulled her hood over her face. "Just in case I am, be ready to run like Dagon himself is after you."

* * *

Indis snatched up one of the many sacks of gold coins that were resting on top of the shelf in Glover Mallory's basement, testing its weight in her hand. With a grin, she tossed it to Teldryn. "There's plenty of gold down here," she said, heart thumping in excitement when she turned her attention to the lockbox next to the coin purses. "I can't believe he just told us to take whatever we wanted."

Teldryn picked up one of the bottles of sujamma that was resting on a small table, carefully placing it inside of his knapsack. "I don't know about you, but I'm perfectly fine with this expression of gratitude."

"So am I." She tucked a handful of loose gemstones into the satchel at her hip. "I can't believe he didn't have a backup copy of that formula, considering it was so valuable and all."

"Really? It's Glover, so I don't' have too much trouble believing it." He fell silent, leaning against the frame of the door. "What's in store for us now, my dear patron?"

Her hand froze, hovering over a pile of lockpicks. She glanced up at him in surprise. "Wait, what? I had thought that once I headed back to Skyrim, you'd be staying here."

"Why would I want to stay here? Raven Rock is an absolute mess. Besides, I've been enjoying our time together."

"What I should do is go back to Skyrim and get myself a mercenary who won't set me on fire."

"Oh, how you wound me," he gasped, placing a hand over his heart, clutching at it in feigned indignation. "So, do you want me to come or not?"

"You really want to tag along? I'm a thief, you know."

"I know, that's already been established. You've told me multiple times, _sera_. Did you just join the Guild? You have all of the excitement and giddiness of someone who is new to something."

"Hmph. Well, sometimes there's danger and often…" she sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "A little bit of stupidity."

"Yes, yes. You revealed that when you took us to a ruin crawling with Rieklings."

"Do you still want to come with me?"

"By the Three, you really are thick, aren't you? Yes," he groaned, reaching forward to give her shoulders a gentle shake.

Indis laughed, tugged away from him. She slung her bag over her shoulder before linking her arm through his. "Well, then. Things probably won't get too terribly exciting, but you're free to join me. Shall we head off to the docks and see about setting sail?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Teldryn is finally here! I'm sure plenty of you have been waiting for him to make an appearance and we'll definitely seeing a lot more of him in the future. We're about to get into the Dawnguard stuff, so that, along with all of the Thieves Guild stuff that Indis will have going on means that she's going to be a very busy lady. Luckily she's got a mouthy spellsword by her side, huh? A pretty vampire who's been locked away for a really long time is about to make an appearance, too. _

_This chapter was looked over for me by Child of Sithis, who has her own fantastic story about a F!Dragonborn/Serana. As always, thanks a million for taking the time to read this story. I love to hear feedback from you guys, it's a major fuel that keeps me going, so feel free to share. Hopefully the next chapter, filled with plenty more Indis and Teldryn, will be up really soon. Thanks! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

A few fleeting days after departing from Raven Rock, a small, cramped ship that carried Indis and Teldryn back to Skyrim. It deftly maneuvered around the chunks of ice that dotted the Sea of Ghosts and safely deposited them back on the icy docks of Windhelm.

"I swear, it's gotten even colder, somehow," Indis groaned, rubbing her hands together viciously, hoping to create the slightest spark of warmth. "Windhelm is absolutely horrible. How can people stand this cold?"

"When I lived here, the city spent half of waking hours drunk," Teldryn replied, guiding her to the right once they had passed through the dock's gates and stepped onto the snowy streets of Windhelm. "It helps you forget that this is such a wretched place." He paused, scowling. "It's especially wretched if you're a Dunmer."

She looked up at him in surprise. "I didn't know you lived here."

"I did for a short while before I made my way out to Raven Rock to seek my fortune."

Indis opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off when a massive Orc man stepped in front of them, shoving a flyer into her hands. She glanced up in surprise, mouth still slack-jawed and hanging open as she studied the man.

"You two," he began, tucking the remaining flyers under an arm as he gestured to them. He remained quiet for a few seconds, his eyes flicking over them, and Indis realized he was taking in their armor and the weapons at their sides. After a few seconds his head jerked up and he gave them a steely nod. "Would you be interested in joining the Dawnguard?"

Indis' brow furrowed. "The what-guard?"

"The Dawnguard is a faction of vampire hunters," the Orc clarified, puffing out his chest ever so slightly, the metal buckles and snaps on his dusty armor catching in the dim torchlight. "I've been sent out by our leader, Isran, to do some recruiting."

"Vampire hunters, eh?" Teldryn drawled, a smirk working itself onto his mouth. "You know, my employer here is one of the finest vampire hunters in all of Skyrim. No, wait – all of Tamriel."

It took Indis a few seconds to realize that Teldryn was talking about her and when the realization hit her, her face scrunched up into a scowl. _I'm going to kill him._ "Oh, that might be a bit of an exaggeration," she mumbled with a laugh, nervously rubbing at the back of her neck. _Or, a complete and utter lie._

The Orc grunted in response, his eyes wandering down to the fresh, jagged scars that raced down her cheek before shrugging. "Exaggeration or not, we could use all the help we could get." He reached out, pointing to the crudely drawn X on the flyer he had handed to them. "There's Fort Dawnguard. If you think you have what it takes, head down there and find our leader, a Redguard that goes by the name of Isran." He stopped and straightened up, giving them one last nod. "I hope to see you there."

* * *

Indis settled down on the warm, toasty stones near the hearth, holding her hands out to soak up the delicious warmth that was cast off. She watched a log in the fire crumble into flakes of soft grey ash and glowing embers before turning to Teldryn.

"The Atherons are nice," she slurred, wishing that the bottle of mead she had abandoned on a small, crooked table wasn't so far out of reach. She reached up to brush away a wisp of hair that had fallen into her eyes, sighing sadly when her fingers met with the uneven brown strand. After the incident with Teldryn's atronach, she had been hoping that her singed hair would make it out fine, but that wasn't the case. The morning after when she dragged her fingers through her long, brown locks, they had snapped off in several places. Teldryn had stepped in, offering to even things out, and once he was finished, she had uneven, messy hair. "It was kind of them to let us stay here."

"They're old friends from when I lived here in the Gray Quarter," he replied, tossing a fresh log into the flames, stomping out the embers that had bounced out before settling down on the floor next to her. "And yes, you're correct, they _are_ nice. So," he continued idly, glancing up at her. "Are we going to Fort Dawnguard?"

She tilted her head back and stared up at the ceiling, mind wandering back to their encounter with the Orc man. Finally, she shrugged. "I don't know much about vampires, much less hunting them," she said, reaching up to stifle a yawn. "I've never even _seen_ a vampire."

Teldryn chuckled, soft and low. "I'm sure you have, _sera_. You likely just didn't know it. So, are we going to see about this Dawnguard or not?"

She leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows, her gaze still cast upwards. After a few silent seconds of contemplation, watching the shadows cast off by the fire dance, she let out a long, drawn-out exhale. "I don't see why we can't at least stop by," she admitted. The sloppily marked X on the map was in a canyon just off of the road that left to Riften. After he had given her instructions and shooed her away in the direction of Solstheim, Brynjolf had said that there _might_ be bigger, better things awaiting her. The bigger Guild jobs weren't a guarantee and she squirmed at the unpleasant thought of even more dawdling in the Cistern. "Who knows, maybe it will be fun."

* * *

Indis and Teldryn had departed from Windhelm early the following morning, just as the first pale rays of light stretched out over across the crisp, white horizon, eager to be on the road and away from the snowy city. They had set out on foot and several hours later, her feet were aching and throbbing and she could feel the beginnings of blisters that were bubbling up on her toes and heels.

"I can't do this anymore," she groaned, flopping down on the ground with a sigh, throwing her knapsack down next to her. She tore off her boots, her thick woolen socks next to be ripped from her feet, sighing with relief when the cool air hit them. She wriggled her stiff, sore toes at him. "My feet are _killing_ me."

Teldryn surveyed her quietly for a few seconds, his shoulders rising and falling. "There are some hot springs a few minutes from here that do wonders for stiff joints and all kinds of aches and pains." He jerked his thumb to the side. "Up, _sera_. Let's go."

"Teldryn," she whined, her lower lip jutting out to form a pathetic pout. "I don't know if I can walk that far." She stretched her leg out, wincing when a sharp pain shot from her ankle to her knee. All of a sudden, a sly smirk formed on her lips. "Carry me."

He threw his hands up in the air, shaking his head in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me. You are being utterly ridiculous," he sighed as he made a show out of stomping over to her. Despite the sharp grumbling under his breath and his exaggerated eye rolls, his words lacked real malice. He extended a hand to her. "It's not far. Get up."

She scowled at him. "No. My feet hurt. I can't walk."

The Dunmer sighed. "Have you your way." Before she could respond he knelt down and scooped her up in one swift, fluid motion, throwing her over his shoulder with a remarkable ease before snatching up the knapsack and boots she had abandoned in the nearby grass. "There you go," he chortled, the devious glee in his voice impossible to miss. "Happy now?"

"No," she managed to spit out, her vision blurring as she swayed back and forth, trying to ignore the _whoosh_ of blood in her ears. "I'd be happier if my face wasn't right next to your arse," she grumbled, closing her eyes.

All of a sudden, she was unceremoniously dumped on the ground, landing on the soft earth with a gentle thud. Teldryn gestured to the frothing, steaming water behind them with a flourish. "We're here, your highness," he drawled, his mocking, husky tone dripping with sarcasm as he bowed. "Would it please milady to know that this would be a good place to set up camp and rest until we depart on the morrow?"

She clambered to her feet, dusting off her armor. "Yes, it would, Sir Mouths-A-Lot. I'm not paying for all of this sass," she added, flashing him what she hoped was a sour frown.

"Ah, forgive me," he sighed, clapping her hard on the shoulder before he set to work undoing the buckles and straps all over his armor. "I forgot that my incredible wit and charm was an extra hundred septims."

Indis snorted, nudging him hard in the side with her elbow. "It's worth maybe an extra ten at the most. _Maybe_." Ignoring his dramatic gasp of feigned indignation, she strolled over to the edge of the spring, peering down into the murky water before rolling up the pants leg of her armor, settling down by the edge so she could dangle her feet in the water. The warmth from the water seeped into her skin, her bones and she released the long, satisfied sigh she didn't know that she had been holding.

"What are you doing that for? Just get into your smalls and get into the water."

Her head jerked up, just in time to see a quick flash of gold and to catch onto the fact that he was stark naked, his armor discarded in a messy pile behind them. He strutted around to the opposite side of the spring and when he turned around to step down into the spring, she was able to get a better look at what the faint glimmer of gold was.

"You should consider getting in," he continued, settling down in the water.

She coughed, casting her eyes back down, her ears and face on fire, trying to push the burning images of his pierced cock out of her mind. "I, uh…" she trailed off, finally looking up once more. The bubbling of the hot springs had churned up plenty of murky silt, obscuring anything beneath the water. "Fine. Just turn around."

After Teldryn complied, covering his eyes with large, gray hands, she stripped down and tossed her dusty Thieves Guild armor aside and sank into the water. "Oh, that's _wonderful_."

His hands fell away from his face and he leaned back, propping his elbows up on the dry earth behind him, studying her with a mild curiosity. "Where are you from? You don't look like a Nord."

"I'm from Bravil in southern Cyrodiil," she replied, letting out a tiny, wistful sigh, letting her head loll backwards so it was resting on the crumbling embankment behind her. She hadn't thought of Cyrodiil in the longest time and the mere thought of the city that had been her home for nearly two decades filled her with an indescribable yearning. "I've only lived in Skyrim for about seven months."

He smirked. "That would explain why you're constantly pissing and moaning about the cold."

She splashed water at him playfully. "Hey, you've done plenty of complaining as well."

"Oh, you've got me," he said, raising his hand in defeat. He paused. "Glad you decided to join me."

"I am too. This is nice," she added, sinking lower into the hot water, hoping to ward off the late afternoon chill that was in the air. She opened her mouth, ready to continue, when she was suddenly cut off by the faint roar that echoed through the autumn air. Her head snapped up, her eyes growing wide.

"What in Oblivion is that?" Teldryn looked up, obviously intrigued by the sound, his bright red eyes focused on the mountain a short distance away. "Do you know what that was?"

She had already stood, arms wrapped around her torso, hugging it tight. _I know exactly what it is. _"We need to go. We need to go now," she said, voice shaking ever so slightly. Her companion was still staring past her, transfixed on something in the distance and she had to resist the urge to storm over to him and drag him out of the water. Instead, she remained motionless, trying to stay calm.

"Would you look at that," he uttered, letting out a low, appreciative whistle. "I'll be damned, _sera_."

Indis whipped around, her breath hitching in her throat. In the distance, circling the peak of the mountain that seemed uncomfortably close all of a sudden was a dragon. It sliced through the air, dark wings dispersing some of the thick, cloudy haze that shrouded the mountaintop, emerging after a few seconds with another spine-chilling roar. "We need to go," she repeated, her façade of calm on the verge of failing. Her voice had grown panicked, shrill, and more urgent. "We need to go." She turned to him, wringing her trembling hands, not caring that her chest was no longer hidden beneath her skinny arms.

Teldryn looked up at her, his brow knitting together with what could only be described as concern and she turned away again, just as the dragon threw its head back, unhinged its mighty jaws, and let forth another bloodcurdling roar.

She snapped. "It's coming for me! Oh, fuck, it knows I'm here," she screeched, slogging through the mud and the muck, her vision narrowing to the tiniest pinprick. The earthy wetness, the fresh green smell of the patch of jazbay grapes that had cropped up nearby, and the pleasant aroma of the spring's minerals all had vanished. Instead, as she stumbled forward, heart thudding in her chest, all she could see was the pools of blood that surrounded charred, blackened bodies, black scales and red eyes, and all she could smell was the scent of scorched earth and singed flesh.

She pulled herself out of the spring, still mumbling wildly to herself as she headed towards the pile of their belongings. _I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here_, she frantically repeated to herself. She threw a sideways glance at the discarded pile of armor, but another unearthly screech caused her to keep running and she darted off into the distance, leaving Teldryn behind.

* * *

It had taken Teldryn a few seconds to recover from his patron's outburst and he had watched, completely bewildered, as Indis flew into a wild panic over the dragon and ran off. Dumbfounded, he had watched as the tiny, naked blur of freckles disappeared against the inky purples and vivid pinks of dusk, becoming a speck on the horizon. Shaking it off, he had collected himself and their belongings, dressed himself as quickly as he could manage and taken off after her. After a few minutes of brisk jogging, his efforts were rewarded.

"Teldryn, I'm over here," called out a small voice and he turned, spying a thatch of dark hair and green eyes peeking out from behind a clump of snowberry bushes. "Could you toss me my armor?"

He threw the armor that had been tucked under his arm in her direction, turning around, and after a minute of some gentle shuffling around, she let out a small cough.

"There are some Dwemer ruins up there," she said, pointing towards the top of the path they stood in front of. "That would probably be a good place to stay for the night." She accepted the knapsack he held out to her with a stiff, but grateful, nod and took off towards the top, climbing up the overgrown path with a surprising swiftness. Despite the thick, tall weeds that hung over the path, threatening to snake around their legs and drag them down to the dust and dirt, they made it up to the top in record time, passing through the final set of crumbling stone arches that dotted the path.

"See, Dwemer ruins," she said simply, peeling off towards a small structure nestled in a small thicket of pines away from the rest of the sprawling structure. Indis pulled at the door, grunting with effort, and finally, the heavy metal door gave way and slowly opened with a shuddering groan. Her slender fingers curled around his wrist and she tugged him forward into the dusty, stagnant darkness.

As they stepped inside, lights on the wall and ceiling popped and crackled as they flared to life, casting a dim, but cheery, yellow glow around the small space. They walked forward, stirring filth to life that hadn't been bothered in years, waving hands in front of their faces to brush away the dust motes that danced around in front of them. Indis stopped in the middle of the room that they found themselves in, planting her hands on her hips after she had dropped her knapsack. "Good, good," she said, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I think I see some chests behind that door. I'm going to go check them out."

Teldryn watched as she crossed the tiny space, tugging on the handle of the golden gate in front of her, frowning when it revealed itself to be locked. She retrieved the set of lockpicks that had been tucked away in one of the many pockets on her Guild armor and got to work, biting her lip and furrowing her brow in concentration. He leaned against a nearby wall, observing her quietly.

She seemed to have calmed down a great deal, much to his relief. Her chest was no longer heaving up and down with the wild effort of panic and she no longer had the crazed, frenzied look of a cornered fox that had been present in the hot spring. The creature that had circled the mountain was on his mind as well, but it was something she had said that his mind couldn't stop dwelling on.

_It's coming for me!_

He cleared his throat, considering how best to broach the topic. "So… _dragons_."

Her busy hands stopped and she whirled around, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What about them?"

"That was just an interesting reaction, that's all." He paused to remove his chitin helm and rake a large hand through his mohawk. "Are you all right, _sera_?"

She sighed, yanking the barred metal door open. "I-I think so," she said, stuffing the set of picks back into her pocket. She fell silent, dragging her boot back and forth against the stone floor, the light scuffing sound filling the silence. Suddenly, she looked up. "Thanks for asking, Teldryn. I appreciate it." She peered into the room that had just been opened up, throwing her hands up into the air. "Well, it looks like there's only one bed in there."

He shrugged, chuckling softly. "Not like it matters much, given that the beds here are made out of stone. You can take the bed, though."

She nodded and ducked around the corner with her knapsack firmly clutched in one hand, reappearing after a minute, clad in a long, thin linen nightshirt, her uneven, choppy hair a tousled mess. After rolling out her bedroll on top of the stone monstrosity that was supposed to be a bed, she climbed on top of it, tucking her legs underneath her. "Do you want to know?"

Teldryn set out his bedroll on the floor next to the bed, settling onto it with a loud grunt, slowly setting to work unclasping the buckles on his armor. "Do I want to know what?"

"About the dragon."

He gazed up at her curiously. "Yes. Well, if you want to tell me, _sera_."

She shrugged, absentmindedly rubbing at the patch of scars on her cheek. "Did you hear about what happened at Helgen?" He stared at her blankly for a few seconds and then she continued. "It was the town that was destroyed by a dragon, oh, about half a year ago."

He wracked his brain for a few seconds, recalling the briefest flicker of a rumor that he had heard when he was slouched down in his usual chair inside the Retching Netch. He had been drunk at the time, on the verge of blacking out, and at the time, he had assumed it was simply more fantastical nonsense being spouted. _Perhaps it wasn't nonsense after all._ "I think I remember hearing something about that. Why?"

Her hands twisted the hem of her shirt and she paused to give him a nervous smile. "I was there." After taking a deep breath, she continued. "I got caught up in an Imperial ambush not too far from here, actually. They were after a bunch of Stormcloaks and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They took us to Helgen to be executed. I was kneeling in front of the chopping block when the dragon attacked. It destroyed the whole city," she added with a whisper, hugging her knees to her chest. "I can't get the memories of that day out of my head. That dragon at the hot springs was the first I've seen since then and it all just kind of brought everything back. Sorry about running off like that, by the way."

"It's fine. We should be fine in here," he added, tilting his head towards the massive, hulking doors that they had passed through earlier. "The Dwemer built for the ages. I don't think even dragon fire raining down from the skies can get through these walls." He reached out to rap on the nearby stone walls for effect, giving her what he hoped was a comforting smile in the process.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. You probably think I'm crazy," she added with a feeble laugh.

"Crazy, _sera_, is the Argonian who once hired me. He wore the exact same thing every day and only spoke in rhyme. You'd be crazy if you _weren't_ afraid of dragons."

"I-I have no idea why I said that," she sighed, a worried frown working itself onto her face. "The thing about it looking for me, that is. I don't know how to explain it. It was just a gut feeling, I suppose."

He grunted.

"Teldryn," Indis sighed in response, catching him off guard when she reached out and placed her palm on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I really appreciate you listening. I… I think it might have helped some."

He wasn't exactly sure what to say in response. Usually when a beautiful woman expressed her gratitude with a lovely smile and a delicate sigh, he made an off-color suggestion about how she could show him _just_ how thankful she was. However, it didn't seem like the most appropriate time. He hadn't expected a tale of surviving a horrific dragon attack. "We should get some rest," he finally said, well aware that it was likely only just past sunset.

She nodded before lying down, quickly curling up into a ball and after he had removed the rest of his armor and set it aside, he made himself comfortable on his own bedroll. Just after his eyes fluttered shut he heard a quiet voice.

"Thanks again, Teldryn. I'm glad I hired you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Thanks so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far and if you've been waiting for Serana to arrive, you'll get your wish next chapter because there's a lot of important stuff that'll be happening like meeting with Isran, Dimhollow, more Indis and Teldryn bonding time, a pretty vampire lady waking up… you know, that sort of thing. This chapter was checked over for me by Child of Sithis, who is pretty much the greatest._

_Once again, I always really appreciate it when you take the time to read my stuff. I'd love to know what you're thinking of the story thus far, so feel free to leave me some feedback with your thoughts and be sure to follow and favorite if you're enjoying it!_


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

If it wasn't for the crude, cockeyed sign that was shoved into the earth near the entrance to Dayspring Canyon, Indis and Teldryn would have missed their exit. They had left the Dwemer ruins earlier that morning, slipping out from the storeroom just as the first pale rays of light were breaking through the clouds. Fortunately, there had been no sign of the dragon from the day before. Despite that, Indis remained on edge until they were a fair distance away. After several hours of lazily trudging along the winding path that cut through the forests of the Rift, with every tiny footstep putting more distance between them and the hot springs, she had gradually relaxed.

"Is this it?" Teldryn asked, tilting his head to get a better look at the sign.

Indis squinted at the painted letters. They were a blurry, runny mess, the handiwork of the painter no doubt ruined by the rainstorms that seemed to be a part of daily life in the Rift. "Hmm… it says here that there will be a sign by the road." She tapped the crumpled flyer she held in one hand. "It looks like this is that sign. I'm pretty sure that says 'Dawnguard."

Teldryn nodded and veered off the path and once they were in the cool shade of the narrow path that led to the fort, Indis spoke again. "Is this a good idea?" she asked, shaking the ragged piece of paper at him. She hadn't been able to sleep much the previous night and after an endless amount of tossing and turning, she finally got up with a groan and shuffled off to one of the other sections of the storeroom. There hadn't been many chests to rifle through, or doors to unlock, so she had ended up reading the flyer over and over again, finally able to recite the words in her sleep.

"Is what a good idea?"

She shook it at him again. "All of this. I… I don't know. It seems a bit risky to be openly recruiting like this, handing out flyers that have maps leading right up to the Dawnguard… especially if these vampires are as dangerous as this thing says they are."

Teldryn let out a low, hoarse laugh before snatching it out of her hands to inspect it. He raised an eyebrow, eyes sweeping over the hastily scrawled text and then handed it back to her, shaking his head. She took it and neatly folded it back up and then tucked it into her pocket, fingers brushing against the ring from Ralof. Her hand jerked away as though it was on fire, blazing hot, and she felt the slightest twinge of guilt. Ever since she had left Solstheim, the blond Nord had barely crossed her mind. When she thought back to the way he angrily stormed away, she was surprised to feel nothing but indifference before he was quickly pushed out of her mind once more.

The path sloped downwards, passing underneath tall, skinny white birches flecked with grey, and once they arrived at the bottom, she let out the tiniest little gasp. "Wow," she breathed, eyes widening as they swept over the roaring waterfall that crashed down over the ice encrusted on the cliff face. She walked up to the edge of the water and dipping the tips of her fingers in, relishing in how cool and refreshing it was. All of a sudden, a sharp pang of hunger shot through her gut, pulling her out of her appreciative stupor. "Teldryn, I'm hungry."

"The fort is _right_ there," he sighed, pointing to the sweeping spires and thick gray walls looming impressively behind the tree line. "Can't you wait for a few more minutes?" Her stomach gurgled viciously in response and he threw up his hands in defeat. "Very well, then. I suppose this won't take too long."

She had already settled down on a beached piece of driftwood at the small body of water's edge with her knapsack on her lap. After digging around, she emerged with two red apples, one clutched in each hand. He caught the one that she tossed to him before settling down on the fallen tree next to her.

"What was your patron before me like?" she asked through a full mouth, sending out a tiny spray of apple chunks with each word. "Sorry," she added with a crunchy mumble, reaching up to wipe away the speck of fruit that had landed on his cheek.

Teldryn remained silent for a few seconds, concentrating on the tip of his dagger as he slowly twirled the apple in his palm, slicing away the fruit's skin in one neat ribbon. "He was one of those real traditional Nord types," he began, looking up towards the water thoughtfully. "He always had some kind of war paint on his face, usually the blood of some slaughtered bandits," he added with a toothy grin. When she jabbed him hard in the side, fingers finding a weak spot in his armor, he swore at her, then continued. "He wore these animal furs all the time that were absolutely disgusting. He was an absolute madman, the _n'wah_. I can't even recall how many times he led us into dangerous, impossible situations."

"Why'd you stay with him?"

He chuckled dryly, letting the apple skin drop to the ground. "I stayed with him because he paid very, _very_ well."

"If he paid so well, why'd you leave?"

"One day, we attacked a small camp of bandits. There was one fellow who made a break for it and escaped. Instead of letting the wretch get away, we pursued him on foot for three days," he sighed, shaking his head. "Finally, we arrived at a massive, run-down fort. It's not too far from Riften, I believe. Anyway, there were at least a hundred bandits in there. He turned to me, the wildest, most crazed look in his eyes, grabbed his warhammer off his back, and then he ran in there."

"Did you follow?"

He shook his head before taking one last bite of his apple. "I decided at that moment that nothing but a violent, brutal death awaited me. No amount of coin would be worth that. I've no idea what happened to the man. Somehow, I doubt he survived." Teldryn stood, chucking the gnawed core into the water where it landed with a hollow _thunk_. "Come on, we should keep moving. We're almost there."

* * *

Indis and Teldryn strolled up to the front doors, silence stretching between them for the brief remainder of their journey, with only the low thrum of insects and the occasional chitter of a distant birdcall cutting through the frosty autumn air to break the quiet. They passed by a small garden, with just as many tall, scraggly weeds as cabbages, wandering past a few oddly placed sharpened stakes jutting out of the ground, no doubt to drive away any potential vampiric intruders.

"Where is everyone? This place is a wreck," Indis proclaimed, looking up to gaze at the tattered banners that were draped on the fort's walls. They were bleached out by the sun, dotted with holes and tears, and the once bright yellow sun design was covered with the grime of years gone past.

Teldryn's sharp red eyes wandered up to the lone sentinel standing guard at the door. "That's a bit of an understatement."

As they drew closer, the Breton who was stationed by the door wandered down to greet them, one cautious hand hovering above the axe strapped to his hip. "Hello there," he called out, in a voice that was surprisingly cheery. "Are you here to join the Dawnguard?" Indis nodded and the man grinned. "Good! I'll take you to Isran," he continued, climbing the short flight of steps that led up to the tall, ornately carved doors of the fort. He stopped at the top, waiting for them to catch up, and then pushed the iron and steel open with a loud grunt, beckoning them to follow with a pair of gloved fingers. "Isran will be happy to see you," he said, turning back to flash them a smile. "There's one other fellow that's arrived, but that's all so far. My name is Celann, by the way."

"I'm Indis and this is Teldryn," she replied, pointing to each of them in turn. "Who is Isran?"

"Our leader," Celann replied simply, glancing back over his shoulder one last time before leading them through a door. "Here we are now," he continued, grinning broadly when the Redguard man seated at the small desk in the room looked up. "Isran, I've brought some new recruits."

"Hello," Indis said, stepping forward and stretching her hand out. "It's so nice to-"

"Let's skip the pleasantries." He cut her off brusquely, never tearing his gaze away from the parchment spread out in front of him, continuing to scrawl away. After a few seconds of stony silence, the delicate scratch of quill on parchment subsided as he stilled his hand. He swiveled towards them, tapping his long, wiry beard with the feather of his quill thoughtfully as he inspected them. "So, you want to join the Dawnguard," he continued flatly, eyes narrowing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Indis could see Teldryn roll his eyes and she couldn't help but cringe. "Yes, uh… yes. That's what we're here to do," she replied awkwardly, jamming her hands deep in her pockets. "Kill some vampires."

After setting aside his quill, Isran tented his fingers in front of his face. "Good. We need all the help we can get. It seems that not all that many people are interested in fighting vampires. Interest has been low."

"There's a war and dragons," Indis offered helpfully. "Maybe that's why not that many people have been interested."

"Yes," Isran acknowledged, the rich timbre of his gravelly voice echoing throughout the small, stony space. "Now vampires have been added to the list."

Teldryn cut in. "Well, you've got two more to add to your ranks. Where should we get started?"

Isran gestured to the space around them with a long exhale. "Look around you. We've been doing what we can to clean up the fort, to get it into working order so that we can start doing more training and recruiting. It was abandoned for years. We need to get out there and take the fight to the damn things, but until we get more recruits and get this place in order, that's not going to happen. Feel free to take a look around and then you'll be shown to your room. After you rest for a while, you can get to work doing… _something_."

* * *

Indis' arms ached and throbbed and when the muscle in her right bicep began to twitch and spasm, she slowly lowered the crossbow that she had been aiming at the target on a practice dummy.

"Teldryn, I can't do this." She resisted the urge to fling the heavy, cumbersome weapon to the side and instead wrapped her arms around it, hugging it to her chest. "I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired and all I want to do is go take a nap."

Teldryn stared past her, continuing to idly twirl a crossbow bolt between two fingers. "You heard Isran. He said crossbows are good for taking vampires out, _sera_." His fingers came to a stop and he tossed her the bolt that had been between them. "One more shot and then you can go to sleep. Sound good?"

She lazily flapped her arm at the bolt that glided past her before watching it bounce against the stone floor. After she retrieved it, she slid it into the crossbow, took her position in front of the dummy and raised the weapon. Pulling the trigger, she fired again. When the bolt made contact with the dummy's groin, sending a little puff of dust out into the air, one of her hands abandoned the weapon to pump a triumphant fist in the air.

Striding over to Teldryn, she shoved the weapon into his hands. "There you go. Your turn," she yawned, the tiniest squeak escaping when she stretched.

He cast a sideways glance at the bolt she had just fired, his mouth curving upwards in a smile. "Remind me not to piss you off." With a quick nod, he slung the weapon over his shoulder. "Get to sleep, then. I'm going to take a look around."

* * *

After Indis had slowly ambled back up to the cramped little room that they were forced to share, Teldryn had set off to explore the fort. He had picked up an old, dusty crate lying abandoned in a corner, hoping to fill it with all kinds of useful goods. He had wandered for a few hours, opening chests, sliding the tops of barrels, hoping to see the wink of silver, heralding the presence of a forgotten blade, or a cluster of rare alchemical ingredients set aside. Unfortunately, none of that was the case.

He trudged back upstairs with his spoils and set them down on the ground by the bed. The loud thud jostled Indis from her sleep and she slowly sat up, groggily blinking at him through heavy lids. She yawned, loud and slow, smacking her lips sleepily as she ran a hand through her disheveled locks. He paused to cast an unguarded glance at her, eyes hovering briefly over her bare, freckled legs, before pulling the items he had collected out of the crate and setting them on the bed.

"What'd you find?" She flopped down on her stomach, snatching up one of the bottles of potion that he had retrieved. She pried the top off and took a deep whiff, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you," he cautioned, plucking it out of her hands. "There's no telling how ancient some of this junk is. It may even be older than I am." He paused to let out a throaty chuckle. "And that's saying something."

Indis snatched up a dagger that had tumbled out onto the sheets, testing its weight in her palm. "Ooh, look at this," she began excitedly, her face falling when she prodded the tip of the blade with one finger. It was hopelessly dull. "Is there _anything_ useful in there?"

He shook his head. "Doubtful. I'm hoping that Isran has a backup plan as far as supplies go."

Indis fell silent, biting her lip as she gazed upwards at the ceiling thoughtfully. All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she clicked her fingers together. "I know what we can do. We can take all of this stuff and sell it. Probably not in Riften," she mused, rolling over onto her back. "Too many merchants know me there. We might be able to sell all of this in Windhelm or Whiterun. Then, we can take the gold from that and buy potions we can actually drink and weapons that can actually be used. What do you say to that?"

_Incorrigible little minx_, he silently laughed, slightly surprised by the greedy plan she had just proposed. "It sounds good to me, _sera_."

* * *

Indis stomped over to the lone alchemy table shoved in a dusty, cobweb-ridden corner, propping up the fresh sign she had painted against the wall. Isran had saddled her with the task of making a new one to replace the runny, unreadable one that was likely misguiding and confusing potential recruits. Unfortunately, a few short minutes into her journey to the mouth of the canyon, the rolling black clouds above had opened up. She had bolted back to the warm and dry fort as quickly as she could, but she had still managed to get completely drenched in the torrential downpour.

"Well, that'll have to wait," she sighed, sweeping aside the ingredients piled up on the table so she could hop on top of it. "What are you doing?" she asked, pulling her legs up underneath her.

"I'm making some potions," he responded, turning to glare at her. "I had those ingredients sorted into piles, little fetcher," he lamented, red eyes narrowing before turning back to his work. "Those Khajiit that passed through here didn't have any already made, but they had plenty of ingredients. Oh, and they sent that letter that you were looking to get off to Riften."

She gave him a grateful nod. She had realized shortly after their arrival that she might not be back in Riften for a while, so she had sent a letter off to Brynjolf to tell him of the delay and send news that the work in Raven Rock had been completed. "Thanks." She fell silent, watching the pestle clutched in his hand shift and turn in slowly, lazy circles, methodically grinding what appeared to be a mudcrab chitin to a fine powder. "I didn't know you knew how to make potions."

He continued to concentrate on the task at hand, picking up a jar buried underneath dried branches of lavender, measuring out some of the silvery white powder inside. "I've found that being able to make a few basic potions is as handy skill to have around. Now, pass me that empty bottle," he commanded, pointing to the opaque red object next to her hip.

She moved, ready to pick it up, freezing completely when Isran's loud, thunderous booming voice echoed through the fort, getting her rapt attention as it resounded off the stone of the hallways and floors. Indis wriggled off the table and made for the main area, eager to find out what the commotion was. She peered around the rotting doorframe that separated the tiny room she was crouched in from the main, circular entrance area.

"Tolan, this is absurd," the Redguard growled, folding his arms over his chest. "I was finished with the Vigilants a long time ago. You can take your business about this mythical vampire artifact somewhere else."

Indis' ears perked up and she rolled her eyes. _For someone who seems so deadset on killing vampires, he's quick to dismiss this man… whoever he is._

Isran made to turn on his heel to leave, but the balding man he had been so utterly cross with grabbed at his arm wildly. "Please, Isran, just listen," he begged, his heavily accented voice thick with desperation. "The Vigilants have been under attack everywhere. Something has to be done about these fiends." His voice faded away and he wrung his hands in frustration. "We should have listened to you, but it's not too late."

The Redguard sighed. "I knew it would come to this one day…"

_I knew, and no one believed_. Indis slapped a hand over her mouth to drown out the giggle that threatened to burst forth from between her lips. _I think that's seven and that's just for today_. Her thoughts continued, adding the number to the mental tally she had been keeping, out of sheer curiosity to see how many times the commander could testily mutter what had become his trademark, embittered phrase.

When Isran's head suddenly snapped towards her, dark eyes honing in on her, she jumped. "Come here, girl," he called out, beckoning for her to join them.

She shuffled forward into the bright light that illuminated the center of the entrance hall, looking up at Isran expectantly. Once she had arrived, he lazily waved a gloved hand around, the simple motion uncomfortably dismissive. "This is one of the few recruits who wandered in. Tolan, tell her about that crypt."

The man named Tolan studied her silently for a few seconds, one hand smoothing out the wrinkles of the faded blue robe he donned before wandering upwards to fiddle with the wiry muttonchops sprouting from the sides of his face. Once a few uncomfortable seconds of complete silence had passed, his face broke into a wide grin. "Good, good!" he began, catching Indis off guard when he reached forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "My name is Tolan. I'm with the Vigilants of Stendarr."

"Er, I'm Indis. It's a pleasure."

"Excellent! I'm hoping you'll be able to help me investigate something. I would go to my fellow Vigilants, but unfortunately, no one is interested in listening to Brother Adalvald about this long-lost vampire artifact that he's found." Tolan hesitated, lips pursing into a thin straight line. "I'm not entirely sure if I believe him either, if I'm being honest, but he has a decent amount of evidence that suggests that this artifact is in Dimhollow Crypt."

Indis' brow furrowed. "What kind of artifact is it?"

Tolan's shoulders rose and fell. "I've absolutely no idea. Adalvald seems thoroughly convinced that it's only a matter of time before the vampires go looking for whatever it is, though." He gave her a rueful smile. "We figured it's at least worth investigating. Brother Adalvald has already gone to scout ahead in the crypt and see what he can learn. Here," he mumbled, voice dropping as he turned to the knapsack resting on the floor next to his feet. He rooted around in it for a few seconds, emerging with a rolled-up map clutched in his hand. "Let's find an inkwell and a quill. I'll mark down the location of our hall, as well as that of the crypt."

* * *

"I hate the Pale."

Teldryn ignored Indis' loud, whiny declaration. She shivered wildly and jammed her hands into her pockets, hoping the thin leather would be just enough to stave off the intense chill and the threat of frostbite. Her Guild armor was meant to keep her quiet and light on her feet, not to keep her warm. She kicked at the snowdrift that had accumulated near the crumbling stone ledges that dotted the wide road that led south, sending a flurry of ice and snow all over Teldryn's backside. He came to a dead stop, whipping around to face her. Although his face was obscured by the ugly bug helm he insisted on wearing, she could practically feel his eyes narrow and his mouth work itself into a disapproving frown.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"No," she huffed, breaking into a jog to catch up with him. "This place is miserable."

The chortle that escaped his lips was muffled by the cloth at the front of his helm. "If you don't like it here, then you'd probably want to avoid visiting the northern half of Solstheim." He suddenly threw his arm out in front of her and then pointed to what appeared to be the trailhead of a narrow path. "Do you think this is the one that leads to where that Tolan fellow told us to go?"

Indis shrugged. "I think so. We passed by the giant camp and he said it wasn't too far after that. This is probably it."

They set off with Teldryn leading the way, slipping past overgrown snowberry bushes and brushing aside icicle-encrusted branches that drooped in their way as they delved deeper into the forests of the Pale. After a few minutes they reached the end of the path, shocked gasps slipping through both of their lips.

They had arrived at the Hall of the Vigilants, just in time to watch it finish burning.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I know, I know… I promised to have some Serana in this chapter, but unfortunately, it was just not meant to be. The stuff with the Hall of the Vigilants and everything that happens in Dimhollow Crypt is going to be nice and lengthy and if I had stuck it in there with this stuff, it would have turned into a horker of a chapter, unfortunately. But if you're looking forward to all of that, then get ready, because there's a lot that'll be going on in chapter 10. :)_


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Teldryn knelt down to investigate the corpse sprawled out in front of the entrance, his hand releasing the hilt of his sword so he could roll the corpse over. His gloved fingers pried its eyelids open and after a few moments of silently peering down, Indis' Dunmer companion stood.

"A vampire," he said simply, folding his arms over his chest before he turned to gaze at the popping, crackling wreckage behind them. "I've no idea what that thing is," he continued, pausing to point at the body of what appeared to be some kind of dog. Its blazing red eyes were bulging out of dark sockets, staring towards the sky. Indis stared down at it silently, swallowing over and over again as she took in the slick, leathery look of its skin, focusing on the rows of jagged teeth that the dead creature still had bared.

"Come on." Teldryn tugged at her arm, steering her towards what had once undoubtedly been the cozy, quaint refuge of the Vigilants of Stendarr. "We need to take a look around. That Tolan fellow might be in here."

She instinctively stiffened, bile rising in her throat once she actually managed to tear her eyes away from the dead hound and look at the mess before them. The building was crumbling, collapsing. Hardy, sturdy ceiling beams had fallen, flaking away to delicate ash and vivid orange sparks that were quickly swept away by the biting gusts of wind. There was nothing but the blackened skeleton of the hall now, the low-burning embers ensuring that what wood remained would follow the fate of the planks and beams that had already vanished. An oddly calm breeze swept through the shell of the building, bringing with it not just the scent of burnt wood, but the aroma of scorched flesh as well. As soon as the odor invaded her nostrils, her stomach churned, threatening to heave. The smell was sickly sweet and putrid, faintly reminiscent of tanned leather being smoked for far too long. Her vision narrowed, her heart pounded furiously, violently as though it was trying to burst forth from her chest and her breaths became shallow and ragged.

"I need to leave," she mumbled, placing one hand over her roiling stomach, the other clamping down tight over her nose and mouth.

She stumbled past Teldryn, away from the fire, away from the bodies, flopping down in a large pile of snow. Her hand cautiously lowered and she took a deep whiff of the fresh, unsullied air before exhaling loudly. Slow footsteps approached from behind, the sound dampened by the powdery snow.

"Is something the matter?"

She ignored him for several minutes, allowing her breathing to gradually slow, her eyes remaining clenched tightly shut. Indis swallowed hard. "It's just… just the smell. It reminds me of…" She trailed off, the last word lingering on the tip of her tongue, refusing to spill over. Her eyes flew open. _Helgen._ Banishing the thoughts from her mind, she wrapped her arms around her torso. _Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it_, she silently repeated to herself, hoping that if she ignored the memories long enough they would vanish.

"Care to talk about it?"

"No."

"Here." A large hand nudged the side of her head and she turned to see Teldryn holding out the red scarf that he always had draped around his neck. "It should help block out the smell."

After a few moments of silently staring at the faded, threadbare fabric, she took it. "Thanks." She lazily slung the surprisingly thick piece of red fabric around her shoulders, eliciting a sigh from Teldryn.

"Do you not know how to put on a scarf?" he asked incredulously, kneeling down so he was at her level. "If you wear it like that, it won't do a damn thing to keep out the chill or the smell, _sera_."

"No, I don't," she finally admitted, an embarrassed pink creeping onto her cheeks. "It was warm most of the year in Bravil. You didn't really need something like a scarf."

He settled down on one knee before her, leaning in closer so he could remove the scarf that had been carelessly thrown around her shoulders. "_This_ is how you put on a scarf," he muttered, a surprisingly gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he entwined it around her neck. Indis remained silent as the fabric looped around her neck over and over again, breathing in Teldryn's dark, ashy scent, shivering ever so slightly when his warm breath ghosted across her bare cheek. He shifted so he could look her in the eyes as he tucked the loose, ragged edges of the scarf into the folds of the fabric, his thumb dragging across her cheek for the briefest, most intoxicating, flash of a second. "There you go. Pull that up a bit and it should keep the smell out."

She flashed him a grateful smile before tugging it up over her mouth and nose. She watched him jog back up the sloping hill, relieved as the pungent scent of smoke, ash, and honeyed mead replaced the terrible smell from the hall.

* * *

Teldryn carefully stepped over a smoking, snapped ceiling beam that had crashed down onto the stone floor, stooping over to pick up one of the many books that littered the floor. He slowly thumbed through the fragile pages before tossing it aside. A gust of wind swept through the hall and he shivered, wishing that he had his scarf. _I'll need to get that back from her._

Teldryn carefully stepped over yet another burning beam to get to the corpse that was precariously draped over a smashed table, slowly flipping it over once he arrived. The frosty northern Skyrim air had kept the bodies in the hall from rotting, but somehow the body of the final Vigilant had been sliced open, blue-black entrails spilling through torn robes. He stared at it just long enough to see whether or not it was Tolan before stepping away.

He had left Indis outside to shiver and shake in a large pile of snow. She had blanched as soon as they had entered the hall, quickly darting off. He couldn't blame her; everything about the sight before they was absolutely wretched. After flipping over every corpse in the hall and prying open their eyelids to find a dull orange-yellow glow behind a few of them, it had become abundantly clear that vampires were behind the attack. Tolan's body wasn't among the dead.

"Tolan wasn't there," he sighed, settling onto the snowdrift a few feet away from her. He glanced up at the red entwined around her neck, briefly considering asking to have it back. _Maybe later._ "Everything that looked as though it might have been important has been destroyed."

She was ignoring him, staring down at the map in her lap, eyes focused on the dark marking that Tolan's quill had slashed over one tiny symbol on a mountaintop all those days ago. Finally, she glanced up at him with a weary smile. "I think I know where he might be."

* * *

"Well, it looks like we're finally here," Indis gasped as she tugged down the scarf that covered her face, smoky tendrils of frozen breath unfurling in the crisp evening air as she exhaled loudly.

They had set out from the Hall of the Vigilants shortly after discovering that Tolan's body was absent, slowly trudging up the treacherous path that hugged the side of the snowy mountain. Hours later the path had vanished as soon as they had reached the summit, just as the twinkle of stars had risen in the sky to replace the fading streaks of a vivid dusk. As they approached the pair of braziers that flanked a short flight of snow-dusted steps, the once-dead embers roared to life, the sudden popping and crackling of the flash of flame catching them off guard.

"Hm," Teldryn mused disinterestedly as he tugged off his helmet, peering into the fire. "The ancient Nords used all kinds of magic in their tombs and crypts." He reached out, letting one hand hover near the flame. "I'm sure we'll find more magic inside."

"Nords using magic?"

"Interesting, isn't it?" Teldryn chuckled, raking one hand through his hair, tousling the sweaty mohawk. "Given how much they piss and moan about the use of magic, you'd never guess that they used to quite adept throughout their past. Now, come on," he said, slipping his chitin helm into the knapsack he carried before slinging it back over his shoulder. "It looks like a storm is brewing."

Indis glanced back at the thick, puffy grey clouds that were beginning to obscure the sky before setting off after him. "Good, I'm ready to get inside," she mumbled in response, carefully following him up the icy stairs, blinking furiously when they passed through the dark slit cut into the mountainside. She stood still for a few seconds, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light before speaking again. "Where do you think Tolan is?"

Teldryn shrugged, unsheathing his blade. "I've no idea, _sera_. I just hope the fool hasn't wandered too far inside," he replied, his voice dropping to a low, hushed whisper. "I'll lead, if you like."

After Indis nodded, they took off down the dank, narrow passageway, creeping along slowly until the path opened up into a massive cavern. Teldryn threw his arm out, signaling for her to halt and she slowly made her way up next to him. Indis took a deep breath, the smell of damp earth and the unmistakable musk of ages past oddly comforting.

"Teldryn, do you—"

He let out a low hissing noise, abruptly cutting her off, pointing to the opposite side of the cavern. She listened quietly for a few seconds, struggling to ignore the delicate chatter of the bats hiding within the dark slips of shadow and the gentle murmur of water rushing over rock. Her ears strained even harder and finally she heard the pair of hushed voices that had set Teldryn on edge.

They ducked behind a crumbling stone pillar, peeking out at the two shadowy figures on the opposite side of the stream that sliced through the cavern. She jumped ever so slightly when Teldryn crept up behind her, lips brushing against her earlobe.

"Vampires," he whispered. "Want to get in the first shot?"

She fumbled for the heavy, cumbersome crossbow that was strapped to her back, sliding in a bolt as quietly as she could, hoisting it up. Squinting, she took aim at the taller of the two and after taking a deep breath, she pulled the trigger.

The crossbow fired with a loud _clack_, the sound snapping through the brisk air of the cavern, leaving behind a dull echo. The bolt missed its mark, glancing off the dark stone behind the vampire's head. Their foes turned towards them, the hound at their side darting off towards Indis and Teldryn's position. Her hand flew to the quiver on her hip, scrabbling for another bolt and as she locked it in, she looked up, surprised to see a colossal ball of fire whiz past her head. It collided with the opposite side of the cavern, setting their vampiric foes aflame. Their howls of agony echoed through the cavern and they clawed at their leather armor that clung to their flesh, frantically trying to brush away the fire that licked at their flesh. She raised her crossbow once more and as one slender finger tugged on the trigger, she prayed that the simple steel bolt found her foe.

It did, just barely, and one of the screaming, flailing bodies crumpled, becoming still. Emboldened by her success, she reached for another bolt, her hand falling away when she realized that the fire had already killed the other vampire. She threw the crossbow over her shoulder, the muscles in her arms already twitching furiously from holding the heavy weapon up.

She turned, watching Teldryn as he jogged up to her. "If we come across any more of those damned hound things, don't let them bite you," he lamented with a growl, jerking down his glove to reveal bright red welts on his grey flesh. "Their bites are _freezing_."

"Good to know."

"Also…" he trailed off. "I found Tolan."

Her eyes widened. "Where is he? Is he alive?"

Teldryn shrugged, slowly sheathing his sword. "No idea. It didn't look like it, but it wouldn't hurt to check. This way," he continued, beckoning her to follow with a pair of fingers. "I found him over here."

Indis took off after Teldryn, followed him down the narrow slope that was pressed up against the cavern wall, feet stumbling when the wet, crumbling earth below her feet suddenly turned into uneven stone from ages past. She slowly approached the motionless figure slouched against the wall of the cavern, the crunch of glass underneath her boots breaking the thick, heavy silence. She had thought Tolan was dead, but as soon as the loud pop of glass breaking cracked throughout the cavern air, his eyes flew open.

He blinked at them slowly for a few seconds, and once he had registered that they weren't vampires, he raised one quaking hand. "No!" he rasped, placing his hand back on his abdomen. "Don't come any closer."

Her brow furrowed and she ignored his instructions, drawing even closer. "No, you look injured. Here, I have some potions," she said, pulling her knapsack off of her shoulder as she knelt down next to Tolan. She set it down on the ground and began digging around, hands finally emerging with healing potions clutched in them. "I think I might even have some of the stronger kind in here…" She trailed off to concentrate on rummaging around, gasping in surprise when Teldryn's hand closed around her arm and jerked her back.

"Stay away from him," Teldryn warned, grip tightening when she attempted to resist and pull away. As she turned back to shoot him a withering glare, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Look at his eyes."

She glanced down, surprised that she had missed the lurid orange and gold that filled the Vigilant's sunken, hollow sockets.

"I wasn't there when they attacked the Hall," Tolan began, pausing to lick his lips, tongue flicking out to wet the bleeding, cracked flesh. "I should have waited, but I came here alone. I killed two of them and one of those damned dogs, but I was overwhelmed." He was cut off by a fit of loud, wet coughing. After sucking in another ragged breath, he continued. "They didn't kill me, they turned me. They took all my potions and smashed them," he rasped, bright eyes hardening as he glanced towards the broken bottles underneath her feet. "I didn't have enough energy to heal myself and before I... changed, they took turns feeding on me. That was… that was days ago. I think," he added, brow furrowing at the uncertainty of time.

Indis looked down, unable to stop herself from digging the heels of her boots into the rainbow of glass underneath them, grinding them into the thick sludge of fetid potion. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Teldryn.

"Have they found what they're looking for?" he asked, deep voice all gravel and business.

Tolan shook his head before flashing them a weak smile. "No, they haven't. There's still time to stop them. There are more of them ahead. Be careful. Do not tarry," he choked out, his voice a low, urgent rasp. "They may not have found whatever this artifact is, if there even is one, but I think they're getting closer."

"What about you though?" Indis wriggled, attempting to wrench herself out of the mercenary's tight grip. "I have some potions that can cure disease."

"It's too late," Tolan groaned hoarsely, pressing his hand over the slash on his belly, fingers splaying out over the tattered blue fabric that had become a deep brownish red, the angry color of rust. He sucked in air sharply through clenched teeth. He looked up at Teldryn hopefully. "I'd do it myself, but I'm too weak."

Teldryn frowned. "I… I don't know."

"Please," Tolan begged, reaching up with a shaking hand to tug at the neck of his robes, revealing the pale white flesh below. "Death would be better than this."

The air between them hung still and heavy and after a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Teldryn nodded, hand flying to the dagger on his hip. Indis knew what was coming, but found herself unable to turn away.

* * *

Indis couldn't sleep.

She and Teldryn had found their way to a quiet little stone alcove that overlooked the spacious cavern, settling down among the thick dust and gossamer cobwebs. There was a large rusted pull chain on the wall and after giving it a hard tug out of curiosity, the gate at the opposite end rolled upwards with a clank and a clatter. They had settled down to rest, unrolling their bedrolls on the hard, dusty floor. After what seemed like an eternity of restless tossing and turning, she kicked away the heavy fur and leather and quickly found herself at the small arched window cut into the stone.

"Come get some rest, Freckles. You heard Tolan. There are more of those things ahead."

_Freckles._ She scowled at the ridiculous nickname he had given to her, ignoring his sleepy murmuring behind her. Instead, she continued to gaze out over the crumbling stonework, past the mossy ferns that dotted the edge of the lazy stream that cut through the space, eyes focused on the patch of earth that was darker than the rest. Suddenly, Teldryn's irate mumbling stopped and she heard the gentle scuffing of leather against stone as he rose to his feet, the gentle pops and cracks of joints breaking the uneasy silence.

"It was what he wanted. There's no use dwelling on it now. The blade went straight into his heart," he added quietly. Instead of the thought comforting her, it set her on edge and she shuddered, wondering what pain the Vigilant had felt.

She whipped around to face him. "Do you really think death is better?" she asked softly, stomach twisting into knots as she gazed up at him, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. "Do you think there's a chance we might turn into vampires?"

Teldryn stared past her, letting his shoulder rise and fall in a lazy shrug. "No idea. I've never been a vampire before. You saw what they did to him, though," he replied. "The damn things tortured him. I think to him, as a Vigilant of Stendarr, death was clearly the better choice. I don't think he wanted to become… _that_. As for turning into one, I wouldn't worry. We've got plenty of potions. We'll just need to use them wisely, _sera_."

Wind shrieked through one of the many crevices in the side of the mountain, sending a blast of freezing air into the small space they occupied. Indis shivered, rubbing her frozen hands together, hoping to ignite a spark of warmth in her turgid digits. "I'm freezing," she whispered, teeth clacking and chattering together.

Teldryn scooped up her hands, studying the Guild gauntlets she wore as he rubbed warmth into her fingers with his own. "Well, no wonder," he scoffed, snorting as he briefly stopping to prod at the thin pieces of leather that were wrapping around her wrists and forearms. "These aren't made for weather like this."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "What else am I supposed to wear? I can't pick locks if I'm wearing big, thick gloves."

He chuckled, the corners of his lips curving upwards into a slight smile. "This may surprise you, but one of the many wonderful things about gloves is that you can take them off."

"Hmph, very funny," she groaned, swallowing the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She pulled her hands out of his, flexing her fingers. "That's much better," she sighed happily, relieved that frostbite didn't seem to have left a lasting mark of any kind. Not yet, at least. "Thanks, Teldryn. How are you so warm?"

He yanked his gloves back on before responding. "Dunmer are naturally hot-blooded," he said as he stepped away. "We run warmer than most."

"Well," she replied, wrapping her arms around her torso after the chill began to seep back into her hands. "I'm sleeping with you tonight." He looked up in surprise, one dark eyebrow arching impossibly high. "Well, um, that's not what I meant," she stammered, cheeks beginning to burn.

A sly grin crept onto his face. "Oh, I wouldn't mind that, not at all."

She focused her attention on a dust mote that was bobbing around in the light cast off by the alcove's only torch before clearing her throat loudly. "I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling very tired."

"Neither am I." He folded his arms over his chest, his mouth resetting itself into its usual grim, straight line. "What do you propose we do?"

"We could keep going. I-I think we should keep going."

"That's a good idea," he agreed with a short nod, casting a wary glance over his shoulder, out into the cavern. "I think those two vampires we killed were watching the entrance, just in case more Vigilants came along. I doubt any vampires will come back this way, but still, it'd be best not to linger."

"We'd best get going then." She knelt down, rising once again after she had rolled her bedroll back up, tucking it in the loop on top of her knapsack.

"What's the plan?"

She stopped short, whipping around to face him. "Oh, uh, I'm not sure." Biting at her lip, she fell quiet. "Let me scout ahead."

A deep crease formed in his brow. "Alone?"

Pushing away the nervous twisting in her gut, she nodded. "You're too loud. No offense," she mumbled, offering him apologetic smile. "With the breathing, the coughing, the stomping…"

He raised his palms. "Enough, I get it. What happens after you scout ahead?"

"Then I come back for you and we decide what to do from there."

"That seems solid enough. Oh, and here you go," he said, reaching for her bow, which was currently propped up on the wall next to his knapsack. "Aren't you glad I offered to bring this for you?"

"Yes," she admitted, reaching out to accept it along with the quiver brimming with steel arrows. She ran her hands over the smooth, supple curves before gently plucking the taut bowstring. "We should get moving. What should I do with the crossbow? It turned out to be absolutely worthless."

"I told you not to listen to Isran about that crossbow, but you just had to lug it along. Leave it behind. It'll only slow you down."

* * *

Teldryn flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword, watching the skeleton shamble towards him, bones creaking as it raised the axe clutched between its thin, spindly fingers. As soon as it was in range, he lazily slashed at it, watching as the magicka that bound its bones together and given it life dissipated almost comically fast. The creature buckled, brittle hollow bones collapsing into a pile with a dull clatter. He sheathed the glimmering Elven sword he carried, chuckling to himself as he watched Indis gave another skeleton a simple shove. It flew apart, ancient bones flying in all different directions after a faint purple flash of magicka. After sheathing her bow on her back, she jogged over to him.

"Why do they even bother?" she said with a laugh, reaching back to tighten the leather strip that held her hair in place. "I don't think they can even really lift those weapons that they were holding."

He watched as she stepped over the dead vampire sprawled out in her path, boot catching on one of the folds of its armor. She stumbled forward, grasping at his arm to keep from falling and he found that he didn't mind as she invaded his space, grasping at the chitin plates of his armor to keep herself steady. "Easy there," he said, his hands resting on her shoulders until she was firmly upright.

Indis pulled away, a splotchy pink blossoming in her dark, tanned cheeks. She coughed awkwardly, fidgeting as she turned away to survey the space they were in. "We should probably take a look around," she said, straightening up as she marched over towards one of the sarcophagi that lined the rocky path. She peeled off her leather cuirass and tossed it on the ground nearby before rolling up the long, floppy sleeves of her undershirt. Hopping up onto the stone edge of the coffin, she teetered precariously for a few moments, throwing her arms out to regain her balance before finally leaning down to root around underneath the dead draugr.

"I wouldn't say that there's nothing here," she finally sighed, motioning for him to come over. "But I don't think that there's anything here that could be considered some kind of ultra-special vampire artifact." She paused, staring off thoughtfully into the distance, biting at her lip. "Unless it's gone because they've already found it."

Teldryn turned around, eyes sweeping over the coffins that had been pried open, lids carelessly slung aside, along with the withered remains of the draugr that had been within. He turned back to her, shaking his head. "I don't think so. Those vampires were still looking when we arrived," he said, jerking his thumb towards one of the corpses sprawled out next to the entrance to the chamber they were in. "I'm guessing that whatever they're looking for, it wasn't in here."

"Just look at all of this." She snatched up the golden circlet that had been on the draugr's head, gazing at it in wonderment in the dim, flickering torchlight before passing it off to him. She reached down again, fingers trailing over the gem-encrusted necklace draped around its neck before scooping up the spoils underneath the rags that had undoubtedly once been clothing. "They left all this behind," she noted, letting gold coins and loose gems spill out of her hands.

"That they did," he muttered, still studying the cut of the rubies in the circlet. "However, that doesn't mean that we should, though. The dead certainly don't have any use for these things any longer. Let's see what else we can find."

* * *

Indis narrowed her eyes as she peering through the narrow bars of yet _another_ gate that blocked their path, watching the draugr and the vampires in the room beyond as they locked blades. She was reaching for the bow on her back when Teldryn reached out and suddenly stilled her hand.

"Wait," he whispered, dark red eyes focusing on the tussle in front of them. "Let's wait and see who is still left alive at the end of this. Then, we can take on whoever is left after they've been run down."

Her hand fell to her side. "Good plan." She leaned against the rocky, uneven wall, casting a sideways glance at the ongoing fight before shutting her eyes, trying to drown out the sound of metal crashing against metal. The sounds of the scuffle echoed throughout the tomb, ricocheting violently against ancient stone and bone. Finally, after a few minutes, the sounds of fighting faded away and once silence had fallen, Indis pushed off the wall, creeping towards the tarnished gate that barred the way into the next room. She quietly scanned the room, taking in the splay of limbs and splatter of blood, eyes widening when they arrived at the shriveled, greying corpse that had collapsed against a wall.

"Teldryn," she hissed, waving one arm frantically, urging for him to join her. "What is that?"

"A draugr," he replied simply, red eyes flicking over the creature. "You'll come across them a lot in Nordic ruins. These appear to be a little bit livelier than the ones we encountered earlier. Ah, it looks like one of those wretched beasts that the vampires keep with them survived the fight," he lamented with a sigh. "If you could get it over here somehow, we might be able to kill it through the gate."

"Right," she whispered back, reaching for the bow on her back. She pulled an arrow out of her quiver before nocking it slowly. Pulling the bowstring back so that it was stiff and taut, she carefully guided the readied arrow through one of the wide gaps of the gate. Taking aim at the far wall of the catacomb, she fired. The arrow flew, bouncing off the stone wall with a loud clatter.

The red-eyed beast snapped its head up, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air, testing it as it ambled over to where the arrow had it. Its paws slapped against the stone floor, claws scraping dully as it continued its investigation. All of a sudden, its head jerked up, glowing eyes meeting theirs.

The dog bounded towards them with a snarl and a piercing bark and Indis stepped back away from the gate, watching as Teldryn took over. A flame blossomed in the palm of his hand and once the creature was closer, the fire bloomed, crackling and sputtering as it spilled forth from his palm with an incredible amount of force. The flames consumed the creature and it howled, thrashing against the bars in agony, still furious, still desperate, still wanting nothing more than to sink the rows of knives in its mouth into their necks.

It didn't take long for the animal to collapse to the floor and lay still. Indis reached out for the pull chain on the wall next to the gate, giving it a short tug. With a shudder, it rolled upwards, clearing the path. The smoldering corpse of the vampire hound lay blocking their path and they stared silently at it for a few seconds until Teldryn broke the silence.

"Ladies first."

* * *

It had likely been mere hours since they had passed through the cut in the mountainside that led into the crypt, but time had slipped away from them as they had trudged deeper and deeper into the infuriatingly deep and large tomb.

"That was a damn big spider," Indis sighed, slouching down onto one of the wet, mossy boulders that lay near the giant spider's corpse. Ignoring the throbbing in her tired feet, she reached up to wipe away the sticky yellow and green goo that had splattered onto her face. "Was it really necessary to make its head explode like that?"

Teldryn snorted, kneeling down to use the ragged armor of the dead vampire in the room as a means of cleaning off his sword. "Was it necessary? Probably not. But was it fantastic? Oh, absolutely."

"I suppose," she sighed, resisting the overwhelming urge to tear off her boots and dunk her sore, blistered feet into the cool pond of water right next to her. Instead, she propped her chin up on a balled-up fist, staring out over the spider's corpse. "I'm exhausted. I hope we're almost to whatever this artifact is."

"Agreed." Teldryn paused to rifle around in his knapsack. He tossed her the tiny green bottle that he pulled out, the liquid sloshing around inside as it tumbled through the air. She caught it and rolled it around in her palms. "It's a stamina potion. It should help with the final push."

She popped the cork off and guzzled it down, wrinkling her nose at the burnt, bitter taste that lingered in her mouth after the thick liquid was downed. Tossing the empty bottle aside, it landed in the water with a soft splash, bobbing up and down on the surface for a few seconds before sinking down. "I'm ready."

"Good." He stretched out a hand and once she had taken it, he tugged her to her feet. "It's just a hunch, but I think we're getting close."

Indis took the lead once more, bow clutched tightly in one hand as she crept down the narrow passageway that led further into the crypt, every footstep slow and deliberate. Teldryn remained a fair distance behind her, occasionally breaking the silence with a deep, wracking cough that echoed hollowly against the uneven rock of the walls around them. Finally, a speck of light appeared in the darkness, finally growing brighter and brighter. She came to a halt, turning around to motion for Teldryn to wait behind. Once he had given her a nod, she continued onwards, stepping out into a small room. She was on what appeared to be a small balcony overlooking a massive cavern. Gliding closer to the stone railing that decorated the edge, she crouched down behind the withered dead snowberry bush that was in a large cracked pot.

Crumbling stone steps sloped downwards, zigzagging away from the balcony she was hiding on, leading out to the center of the cave. Out in the middle of the grotto was a large circular dais, decorated with tall, sweeping arches. Stalking the perimeter were a handful of skeletons, awkwardly clutching dull weapons in their hands. Hovering in the center, studying what appeared to be a small pillar, was a pair of vampires. Indis pushed aside the dead, dry branches of the bush, straining to hear what the vampires were saying.

"We'll figure out how to open this soon. Go look through that Vigilant's journal again. There has to be something in there!"

The hushed, frantic tones were just barely audible, but the damp, crisp air inside the mountain managed to carry them to Indis. Her eyes widened and she perked up with a tiny gasp. _We're finally here!_

She quietly shuffled away from the lifeless branches that had shielded her, calming her heart and stilling her anxious hands and feet as she backtracked to meet Teldryn. The crunch of gravel and dirt heralded her arrival and Teldryn looked up.

"Get that atronach of yours ready," she whispered, pointing back towards the speck of fuzzy light that marked the entrance of the cavern. "You and I have some vampires to kill."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Hoo boy, this was a rough chapter to get through. I'm not really sure what the deal was, but it was just one of those that I struggled with for every word, every scene. Despite that, I hope everyone really enjoyed it! There's going to be lots of Serana next chapter, so everyone has that to look forward to, and then Indis is going to be jumping back into some Guild stuff in the form of Goldenglow. This chapter was looked over for me by Child of Sithis, who is absolutely amazing._

_Thanks so much for reading, it's appreciated very much! _


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